74 ELEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



The Norway spruce, which requires a better soil than the pines, was 

 set out in the open grass lands on lots 77 and 78, township 11, in the town 

 of North Elba, Essex count)' These lots are situated on the hill slopes 

 south of Ray Brook and opposite the State hospital at that place. They 

 are in full view from the highway near the sanitarium. The plants set 

 out here were taken from the State nurseries. 



For the plantations on both sides of the highway near Chub Hill — 

 three miles west of Lake Placid — the stock was shipped from the State 

 nursery at Saranac Inn Station. It consisted entirely of Scotch pine and 

 white pine, all four-year-old transplants of large size and of a remarkably 

 stocky, healthy growth. Some other lands were planted with stock taken 

 from the nurseries at Axton and Wawbeek. Planting was done in both 

 spring and fall. 



Some further experimental work in planting by the " seed-spot " 

 method was done on the cleared land near Forestmere, in the town of 

 Brighton, Franklin county, where 42 acres were planted in this way. The 

 spots, on which the surface was dug over until the bare earth was exposed, 

 were made at intervals of five feet, and from eight to ten seeds were dropped 

 on each, after which they were lightly covered with pulverized earth. 

 This work was done last spring, and in the fall, when a careful examination 

 of the ground was made, it was found that the seeds had sprouted to an 

 encouraging extent. This method is an economical one, as it saves the 

 expense incurred by seed-beds and work of transplanting in the nursery 

 and in the field. Until the capacity of our nurseries is enlarged sufficiently 

 "to provide the stock for our plantations, we may have to depend in part 

 •on this method in carrying on the work. 



Another attempt was made last spring to do something in the way 

 of broadcast sowing, but so far as observed in the fall the results were not 

 entirely satisfactory. Only a partial germination of the seed had occurred. 

 This was largely due to the birds and squirrels which ate the seed thus 

 left exposed on the surface of the ground. As a preventive from depre- 

 dations of this kind the seeds were treated with a coating of red lead ; and, 

 as an experiment some were soaked in a solution of blue vitriol, the latter 

 expedient having been tried successfully by farmers in that vicinity when 

 planting their corn. I do not think that the coating thus applied hindered 



