100 The Farm Woodlot 



more or less interferes with the establishing of a stand of 

 trees from sown seed. Chief among these soil covers are 

 (1) grass sod, (2) brush, and (3) leaf litter. 



(1) Grass sod. — When grass has grown for any con- 

 siderable length of time, the roots have become matted 

 together, forming a tough sod. It is useless to sow seed 

 on such ground. The stubble holds the seed suspended 

 so that, if it germinates at all, the rootlet has to extend 

 a distance through the air to reach the ground. 

 Even then it is unable to compete with the roots of the 

 grass. Such land should be thoroughly plowed before 

 seeding, and if the sod is very heavy, the seeding should 

 not be done until the next year. This gives a chance 

 for the roots to rot and the soil to mellow. From the 

 above, it is evident that sowing is not practicable any- 

 where on the prairies outside of the natural range of 

 forest trees. The grasses are predominant in this region, 

 and it is impossible for the tiny seedlings to compete with 

 them successfully. Other conditions of moisture, sunlight, 

 wind, and so on, are so different from those of the forest 

 that the young trees die before they can adapt themselves 

 to their new situation. This is often hard even for thrifty 

 seedlings, and success cannot be expected of the smaller 

 seedlings that are struggling for their lives. 



(2) Brush. — Whether the brush is too dense to permit 

 sowing is a question that must be left largely to the judg- 

 ment of the farmer. If the brush is dense enough to shade 

 out or choke the young seedlings, of course there is no 

 use in sowing seed. This is more likely to be the case with 

 brush that has very thick, heavy foliage. Thin-leaved, 

 light-foliaged brush is not likely to be too dense, and in 



