4 BULLETIN 1264, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



NURSERY PRACTICE. 



The beginning of successful forest planting lies in the nursery 

 practice. Because the production of nursery stock is not an end in 

 itself but merely a means to an end, the fundamental principles of 

 ordinary nursery practice were sometimes overlooked in the earlier 

 attempts at forest planting in this region. Cheapness of production 

 rather than the quality of stock was frequently the objective. Like- 

 wise, the size and vigor of the top rather than root development 

 was too often the criterion by which the quality of the planting 

 stock was judged. In the arid intermountain region, where the 

 young tree is taxed to the utmost to establish itself after planting 

 under relatively adverse climatic conditions, such standards can only 

 result most disastrously. 



In addition to the small ranger nurseries which were in operation 

 during the earlier planting work in the intermountain region, three 

 large nurseries were established and were in operation for a number 

 of years — the Cottonwood and the Beaver Creek Nurseries on the 

 Wasatch National Forest, and the Pocatello Nursery on the Cache 

 National Forest. The Cottonwood Nursery had been in operation 

 14 years when it was decided to curtail planting work in the region, 

 temporarily at least, on account of the relatively high cost of plant- 

 ing and the relatively adverse climatic conditions. The deficiencies 

 of these nurseries for the growing of forest trees are not unusual, 

 but are worthy of brief notice to aid in the selection of better sites 

 in the future whenever planting in the intermountain region may 

 be resumed. 



The Cottonwood Nursery had an excellent soil but was operated 

 under unfavorable climatic conditions. It was situated in the 

 bottom of a broad canyon in the natural Douglas-fir zone. Snow 

 fell to a depth of from 6 to 8 feet and sometimes lasted as late as 

 May 25. Frosts were frequent throughout June, and "snow 

 smothering" and frost injury were frequent. Early digging of the 

 nursery stock was also difficult, and western yellow pine in par- 

 ticular could not be supplied so early as needed for planting. The 

 nearest shipping point was 15 miles distant and hauling charges 

 added $0.75 to $1 a thousand to the cost of the stock. 



The Pocatello Nursery was located on a south slope in the juniper 

 zone. It enjoyed relative immunity from "snow smothering" and 

 frost injury. The shipping point, Pocatello, could be reached easily 

 in early spring; but the soil of the nursery was a heavy clay loam, 

 which was not only physically unsuited to conifers but also so con- 

 stituted chemically that it induced chlorosis. 



The Beaver Creek Nursery also had a heavy clay soil with a tend- 

 ency to bake when dry. Snow conditions were intermediate be- 

 tween the Cottonwood and Pocatello Nurseries, for the ground was 

 usually bare by April 15, and neither snow molding nor frost injury 

 was so bad as at the Cottonwood Nursery. It was located 23 miles 

 from the nearest shipping point, however, in a region of poor roads, 

 especially during the spring shipping season. All were remote from 

 sources of supply. 



Any future nursery site in this region should be in the general 

 locality where most of the planting work will be concentrated and 

 within a few miles of a good shipping point and source of supply. 

 It should have an elevation of approximately 6,000 feet, where the 



