FOREST AKD RANGE RESOURCES OF UTAH 71 



All local species can be sufficiently dried in the sun, except lodge- 

 pole pine, which requires a temperature of about 130° F. to make 

 the cones open promptly. When the cones are thoroughly dry, 

 the seeds are removed by various methods such as raking the cones, 

 nailing them, or putting them through the corn shaker. The seeds 

 are then cleaned by screening and fanning in a machine which 

 breaks off the seed wings and separates the clean seed. Utah species 

 will yield approximately the following amounts of clean seed for 

 each bushel of cones: 



Pounds 



Western yellow pine : 1. 32 



Douglas fir '. .76 



Lodgepole pine .54 



Engelmann spruce . 50 



The clean seeds are stored in air-tight containers until needed 

 either for direct seeding or for planting in the nursery. 



DIRECT SEEDING 



The advantage of direct seeding, either with or without previous 

 preparation of the ground, lies in its cheapness and in the oppor- 

 tunity to use unskilled labor. The two most usual methods of direct 

 seeding are by broadcasting and by seed spots. Broadcasting is 

 most successful where the surface soil is loose and moist, and where 

 the seedlings have some shelter from the sun. In Colorado lodge- 

 pole pine has been successfully planted on old burns by broadcasting 

 the seed on top of the snow. In the seed-spot method, small spots 

 regularly spaced over the area are more or less carefully prepared 

 for the reception of the seed. The seed is then planted and covered 

 to the proper depth. In Utah direct seeding has not proved suc- 

 cessful, principally because of the long dry summers, which make 

 it very hard for seedlings to establish themselves. In any direct 

 seeding, rodents may be a serious handicap by stealing the seed. 



PLANTING SMALL TREES 



To fill gaps in a forest or to establish a new stand, the planting 

 of small trees is the accepted method in Europe and in this country. 

 In the early days it was common practice to use wild stock or small 

 trees dug up in the woods, but, as nurseries developed, it was found 

 that nursery stock could be grown to the desired size, and on account 

 of its better root development was more likely to succeed than the 

 wild stock. 



NURSERY PRACTICE 



To raise forest trees from seed, one should have a rich, moderately 

 light sandy loam, free from coarse gravel and rock. The nursery 

 is divided into beds 4 feet wide and of any desired length, with a 

 path on either side from which they can be worked. The seeds 

 (pine, spruce, and fir) are sown broadcast and then rolled to insure 

 their being pressed into the soil. A thin layer of fine soil is then 

 sifted over the seed and well watered. To prevent drying out, the 

 beds are usually covered with brush or lath screens. As the small 

 trees grow they require less shade and the screens are gradually re- 

 moved. Western yellow pine, lodgepole pine, and Douglas fir are 



