FORESTRY MANUAL. 27 



The Sugar maple is a slow growing tree from seed, until it is about five 

 years old,. when it begins to make top. In the hard, grass ground by the 

 roadside, it grows, when started, nearly as fast as the Soft maple. 



The Black cherry grows nearly as fast as the walnut, and it is more valu- 

 able for cabinet work. 



I think the White pine the best of the evergreens for timber plantations. 



The Norway spruce is a handsome tree for planting near the house. 



Do not try too many species, but be sure to set out trees and set the best. 



BEST MODE OF TRANSPLANTING FOREST TREE SEEDLINGS. 



"We have almost uniformly advised the planting of forest tree seeds where 

 they are to stand permanently. But this is not always practicable, or indeed 

 advisable. In transplanting, the plan of inserting the plants into a cavity 

 formed by thrusting a narrow spade in the ground and pressing the handle 

 forward, has been generally practiced. But careful growers of forestry 

 belts and hedges find that it pays bountifully to do the work more system- 

 atically. In reality, the best and surest method takes little, if any, more 

 time and labor than the less perfect and successful mode of setting behind 

 a spade. 



Plow straight furrows four feet apart across the plat, running the plow as 

 deep as possible. When ready to put in the plants, keep the team at hand, 

 and deepen two or three furrows at a time, so the earth will be fresh and 

 moist, by plowing back in each furrow with active boy pressing down on the 

 plow beam. This gives a deep furrow with mellow dirt thrown up on both 

 sides. In setting the plants, two hands work to the best advantage. Stretch 

 a line over the center of the furrow, straighten the crooks in the furrow 

 with a spade, and proceed to set the plants. ^One hand attends to wetting 

 the roots of the plants, a bunch at a time, as taken from the convenient 

 point where they are heeled in, and sets them upright at proper distance 

 apart, pulling in the requisite loose dirt with his hands or feet. The other 

 hand follows with a hoe, leveling up between the plants, and tramping the 

 earth firmly around each plant. 



Two hands in this way will soon put out several acres. After the plat is 

 finished, cultivate with two-horse corn-cultivator or double-shovel, depend- 

 ing on the height of the plants. About the middle of June, plow the spaces 

 between the rows, by throwing the furrows towards the trees. A planta- 

 tion started in this way will usually make double the growth the first year 

 made by those planted carelessly with a spade, and if the plants are in good 

 order, not one in two hundred will fail to grow. If plants barely live the 

 first season after planting, their growth will be feeble for several years, and 

 they are liable to perish the succeeding winter. 



