222 DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS. 



and jack pine and red and white fir, which will be left in the beds 

 another year before transplanting. 



Field planting. — Field planting was begun on April 11 and fin- 

 ished in early May. A total of 396,100 trees of jack pine and west- 

 ern yellow pine was planted in the sand hills at an average of $2.15 

 per thousand trees. The method of planting was practically the 

 same as that followed the previous year, described in the 1904 re- 

 port. All of the jack pine was planted in the grass sod without 

 previous preparation. Of the 274,700 western yellow pine 80,400 

 were planted in sod and the remaining 194,300 in furrows. The 

 trees planted this year are in a thrifty condition and appear to be 

 making a good start. 



Seeds and trees furnished for planting outside of the Dismal 

 EiVER Forest Reserve. — In May 300 pounds of western yellow pine 

 seed, 30,000 seedlings of the same species, and 10,000 red fir seedlings 

 were furnished for reforestation in the Black Hills Forest Reserve. 

 Fifty thousand western yellow pine seedlings and 10,000 red fir seed- 

 lings were shipped to the Pikes Peak Forest Reserve, and 400 pounds 

 of western yellow pine seed were sent to the newly established nursery 

 at Fort Bayard, N. Mex. 



Experimental planting. — Although the work up to the present 

 has been very successful, sand-hill planting is yet in an experimental 

 stage. To secure further data a quarter section of typical sand-hill 

 country was set aside for experimental purposes. Planting was done 

 on this area with different species, both in and out of furrows, and 

 each tree and block was carefully staked and recorded, so that ac- 

 curate counts can be made at any time. In addition certain trees 

 and blocks in the larger field plantations were staked, that the results 

 may be more accurately determined. 



COLLECTING AND TESTING OP FOBEST TREE SEEDS. 



It is the policy of the Service to collect the seeds used in reserve 

 planting, though as a large quantity gathered in 1903 was on hand at 

 the beginning of the last fiscal year no collecting was needed in 1904. 

 In this connection germination tests and data as to the vitality and 

 methods of preservation of the seeds are essential. Cooperative 

 work was carried on with the Seed Laboratory of the Department 

 through a series of experiments, field germination tests were made 

 at Halsey, Nebr., and Henningers Flat, Cal., and a report on pre- 

 liminary results was prepared. On the whole, the seed collected by 

 the Service was of better quality than that purchased of seed houses. 



FOREST replacement. 



The study of forest replacement on areas where tree growth is 

 wanting or deficient was continued in the Wichita, Prescott, Pikes 

 Peak, Santa Barbara, San Gabriel, San Bernardino, San Jacinto, 

 and Sierra reserves. Studies similar in character, although less ex- 

 haustive, were carried on in connection with reserve and cooperative 

 planting and with the studies of natural forest encroachment. 



Forest-replacement studies serve as a preliminary reforestation 

 plan. Through such studies the areas on which planting is advisable 



