BUREAU OF FORESTRY. 521 



Presidential proclamation for a forest nursery. Eighty acres of this 

 bottom land have been fenced, and a seed bed of 1 acre has been 

 prepared and covered by suitable framework for the protection of 

 seedlings. This bed has now been entirely seeded to pine and spruce. 

 Materials have been obtained for the construction of an additional 

 seed bed of the same size as that already made, so that space has been 

 provided for the growing of 2,000,000 plants. 



During the fall of 1902, 30,000 seedlings of the Western Yellow Pine 

 were collected in the Black Hills Forest Reserve and 10,000 Jack Pine 

 seedlings in the woods of Minnesota for the Dismal River Reserve. 

 During the past spring 60,000 additional seedlings were obtained in 

 the woods in the vicinity of Brainerd, Minn. These 100,000 trees were 

 planted in the north part of the reserve. The planting of these forest- 

 pulled seedlings is for the purpose of determining how far that method 

 is practicable. The present indications for the survival of a large 

 percentage of the trees are excellent. 



The cost per 1,000 of collecting, shipping, and planting these seed- 

 lings was as follows : 



Seven thousand Cottonwood and 3,000 willow cuttings were planted 

 along the Middle Loup River and on the adjacent hills. 



In addition to the sowing of the seed bed and the planting of trees 

 and cuttings, 10 acres in the sand hills adjacent to the nursery site 

 were sown with Red Cedar, and 24 acres with Jack Pine, Western 

 Yellow Pine, and Blue Spruce. 



A temporary building was erected near the nursery site to provide 

 protection for tools, implements, and supplies. A well was sunk and 

 a windmill erected to supply water for the irrigation of the beds. A 

 reservoir of li acre-inch capacity was constructed some 60 feet above 

 the seed beds. The level of this reservoir gives ample head for using 

 the water either in the seed beds or in the protection of the buildings 

 in case of lire. A complete irrigating system has been established. 



It is significant of the local interest taken in the Bureau's work that 

 the commissioners of Thomas County have recently laid out a road 

 direct from the station at Halsey to the Bureau's headquarters, and 

 have bridged the river, at a cost of 1800. 



SAN GABRIEL FOREST RESERVE. 

 SEED PLANTING. 



The work of planting on the San Gabriel Forest Reserve was 

 greatly extended by this office during the past year. Planting was 

 begun on Brown Mountain, at the western extremity of the San 

 Gabriel Reserve, in November, 1902. This mountain, which has been 

 heavily burned for many years, is now bare of timber and but 

 scantily covered with brush. The planting was done at an elevation 

 ranging from 2,000 to 4,600 feet. For the larger part of the work 

 seeds were planted. Seed spots were dug from 6 to 12 inches deep 

 and 2 feet across, the surface was smoothed, and from 8 to 15 seeds 



