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REPORT OF THE FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 



of his future work, this plan is in general use abroad. It necessitates, however, 

 the establishment of nurseries for the propagation of the young plants. 



The management of tree nurseries, in connection with forest plantations, has 

 been carried on for so many years in Europe that the American forester who is 

 about to engage in this branch of silvicultural work will find there an ample field 

 in which to study and gain the information available for similar efforts. These 

 nurseries will be found in most of the forest regions abroad — the baumschule in 

 Germany, the pcpiuicre in France, and the piantonaio in Italy. The object of 

 these pages is to describe briefly, but as plainly as possible, the technical methods 

 employed in the forest nurseries of various European countries. 



For this purpose the descriptions are confined to certain ones in which the 

 construction and management are fairly typical of the others in that particular 

 country. To attempt more would involve needless repetition and unnecessarily 

 extend the scope and province of this article. 



We have heard so much of German forestry and its superior methods that 

 our American foresters, when they go abroad for study and information, are too 

 apt to devote their time exclusively to travel within Germany. It would be well 

 if, when not limited as to time or expense, they were to extend their observations to 

 some of the other continental forests and nurseries. But few of our foresters 

 seem to have paid any attention to Italy. This may be due to the small per- 

 centage of woodlands in that country. But the Italian Government is steadily 

 increasing its forest areas, and is conducting silvicultural operations of a high order. 



The nurseries have an annual output of about 9,000,000 plants, and new 

 plantations of large areas are made each year. The surplus seedlings, or trans- 

 plants, not necessary for fieldwork are distributed free to persons who may need 

 them in reforesting private lands. 



The location, area and product of the various nurseries maintained by the 

 Italian Government are as follows: 



PROVINCE. 



Firenze 



Arezzo 



Firenze 



Belluno 



Bergamo 



Name of the forest nursery. 



Vallombrosa 

 Camaldoli 

 Boscolungo 

 Pian Spini 

 Pradoni 



Area in 

 hectares.* 



5-4538 



7-3354 

 2.9605 

 2.9836 

 1 . 6022 



Yearly 



expenditure for 



maintenance. 



Francs. 

 6,538.25 

 6,203.00 

 2,978.40 

 3,071.76 

 669.18 



Number of 



plants 

 produced. 



1,000,000 



800, 000 

 600, 000 



1 , 200, 000 

 140,000 



