FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSIONER. 93 



growth and attractive appearance. When the seedlings have remained 

 two vears in the transplant beds they are read) 7 for the plantations. They 

 are then called four- year old transplants and are from fourteen to eighteen 

 inches in height. The expense of removing two-year old seedlings into the 

 transplant beds is a trifle over one dollar per thousand. 



The reason for transplanting in a nursery is that the seedlings develop 

 a better root system as a result of this process, and hence make a better 

 growth when sent to the plantations. No time is lost as the little trees 

 grow as fast in the transplant beds as in the field. We could use three-year 

 old transplants in our work ; but having incurred the expense of transplant- 

 ing them in the nursery they may as well remain the additional year. The 

 only additional expense is the weeding. 



I am aware that in some European countries the foresters use two or 

 three- vear old seedlings raised in seed beds, and which have not been trans- 

 planted. But this is feasible only on ground which has been prepared at 

 considerable expense, or on land that offers favorable conditions. In our 

 Adirondack work we have to contend with unfavorable conditions that neces- 

 sitate the use of large four-year old transplants. The soil is burned to the 

 sand or quite sterile, and so only strong large plants can make a start. More- 

 over, the ground to be planted is, in most places, overgrown with ferns, 

 huckleberry bushes, weeds and briers, that smother the growth of anything 

 less than a four- year old transplant. We have had some experience in the use 

 of two-year old seedlings for field work and much of it has resulted in failures. 



The Department is operating also a nursery at Axton, and one at 

 Wawbeek. both in Franklin county. They are used for the propagation 

 of coniferous species only. These two nurseries were established by the 

 Cornell Forestry School, but were abandoned when the work of that insti- 

 tution was discontinued. Part of the stock had been removed, after which 

 for three years these nurseries were neglected and allowed to grow up to 

 weeds. Still considerable stock remained, especially in the seed beds, and 

 rather than allow it to become a loss we decided to re-establish these nur- 

 series and utilize these plants. 



This was done at considerable expense, not only for transplanting the 

 seedlings but in clearing out the wild growth which had taken possession, 

 and in keeping down the rank weed growth which appeared immediately 



