SYLVICULTURE. 



is obtained. Then the seeds are planted, dirt or fertilizer or sod 

 ashes sifted on top, and the surface of the bed again pressed down 

 as before. To prevent the formation of a crust, a. cover of moss 

 or leaves is often given, to be removed before the time at which 

 the cotyledons are expected to appear. Better than moss or leaves 

 are coverings consisting of Pine branches (exception: on Pine seeds). 



B. Planting in rills. The rills are from one-fourth to three inches 

 wide; made with a "rill board," a plank well seasoned to which 

 mouldings are nailed. These mouldings may either be square or 

 triangular in their cross sections. 



The rills are from five to ten inches apart. Double rills are 

 preferred, latelj-, in Germany. In order to economize in the use of 

 fertilizer and in order to obtain a compact root system, trenches 

 are sometimes made and filled with particularly fertile soil, at 

 a distance apart equaling that of the rills. These trenches are 

 made with a special " trench hoe," triangular in shape. The seed 

 is put in the rill with the hand, with the help of a reduplicated 

 playing card, a bottle of seed or, better, a stick 2"x4" groved on 

 one side and as long as the width of the bed, or, best of all, a 

 hinged gutter into which the seeds are filled by " thimblefuls " 

 or "spoonfuls," evenly distributed in the base of the gutter. The 

 gutter is placed over the rill and opened by pressing the two sides 

 together, when the seeds drop through the "slot.'* To insure 

 even distribution of the seed in the gutter, small niches may be 

 provided at short, equal intervals at the base of the gutter, the 

 aggregate size of the cavities corresponding with the quantity of 

 seeds to be planted in each rill. 



Advantages of rill planting: 



I. Economy in seed. 



n. Stronger plants of more compact form grown at proper 

 intervals apart. 



m. Economy in manure. 



IV. Seeds put at proper depth. 



V. The foot of plantlet can be easily covered with moss or 

 leaves. 



VI. Weeding is made easy. 



Unless very experienced help can be had, rill-planting is cer- 

 tainly preferable. Undoubtedly, however, insects, mice and moles 

 following the rills do greater damage than in broadcast planting. 



The quantity of seed per square foot of seed bed depends on 

 the number of seeds in a, pound; the germinating percentage; the 

 quality of soil; the number of years which the seedling is meant 



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