FOEEST PLANTING IN THE INTERMOTJNTAIN EEGION. 19 



These apparently contradictory results are evidently caused by 

 snow molding, a form of fungous injury which often causes serious 

 losses during seasons of late melting of the winter snow. Snow 

 molding is especially serious to fall-planted stock, because it has not 

 become established before the beginning of the winter snows. The 

 winter of 1915-16 had a normal amount of snow which disappeared 

 during the latter part of April, therefore there was no loss from the 

 snow molding fungi that winter, and the stock showed a high sur- 

 vival. During the winter of 1919-20, there was a heavy snowfall 

 which did not melt until the latter part of May. By this time a 

 large percentage of the stock planted the previous fall had been 

 killed by the fungi, and this accounts for the great difference in 

 survival in favor of the spring planting. 



In summing up the results, there seems to be little difference 

 between the results of fall and spring planting where snow does not 

 lie too long and too deep. Where the plantations are made on 

 south-facing slopes, the advantages of fall planting are especially 

 marked; for here in addition to the early melting of the snow, 

 spring planting is at a special disadvantage, owing to the drying 

 out of the sites before stock can be secured from high-altitude 

 nurseries and before mountain roads are generally open and passable. 

 However, on many of the sites, because of the possibility of serious 

 snow molding injury accompanying heavy snowfalls or late melting 

 of the snow in the spring and the greater probability of inclement 

 weather in the fall, early spring planting has generally proved more 

 satisfactory. 



Sites suitable for western yellow pine. — Extensive plantations have 

 been made on the permanent brush lands of the Great Basin, on 

 potential Douglas-fir sites on which a temporary cover of brush 

 has come in following fires or other devastating agencies, and limitedly 

 within the lower portion of the aspen type. The sites within the 

 permanent brush lands include areas having a cover of oak brush 

 (Quercus utaJiensis), serviceberry {Amelanchier alnifolia), manzanita 

 (ArctostapJiylos pungens), wild apple (Peraphyllum ramosissimum) , 

 snowberry (Symphoricarpos oreophilus) , sagebrush (Artemisia triden- 

 tata), Tetradymia canescens inermis, or an association of two or more 

 of these species. The temporary brush lands are for the most part 

 characterized by snow brush (Ceanothus velutinus), chokecherry 

 (Prunus melanocarpa) , ninebark (Opulaster malvaceus), serviceberry 

 (Amelanchier alnifolia), and myrtlebrush (Pachystima myrsinites) . 

 The planting of western yellow pine in the brush lands has been 

 extensively investigated and fully discussed elsewhere. 2 



The majority of the experimental plantations were located in four 

 general regions. The largest number were established in oak 

 brush, sagebrush, manzanita, and wild-apple associations in the 

 permanent brush type and under aspen and on Douglas-fir burns 

 on the Ephraim Canyon watershed, Manti National Forest. Others 

 were placed in permanent brush characterized by a mixture of 

 sagebrush, oak brush, snowbrush, serviceberry, chokecherry, elder- 

 berry (Sambucus caerulea), and scattering curl-leaf mahogany 

 (Cercocarpus ledifolius) and aspen, and on an area of temporary 

 brush occupying a Douglas-fir burn on the Big Cottonwood water- 



2 Baker, F. S., and C. F. Korstian. Report in preparation. 



