10 ADVICE FOR FOREST PLANTERS IX OKLAHOMA. 



around trees set in the sod, where it is inconvenient or undesirable to 



cultivate. Along a hedge row, for instance, a mulch may be of great 



benefit. 



SPACING THE TREES. 



The advantage to be gained by continued cultivation of a forest 

 plantation makes rather wide spacing advisable, even though certain 

 specie- which have a spreading habit may require pruning, so that 

 the trunk- may grow clear ami the cultivation not be impeded. Com- 

 pensation for the 1 wide 1 spaces between the rows can be secured in large 

 measure by setting the tree- closer in the row-. The spacing of many 

 plantation- is 4 feet by 4 feet, but trees set in thai way can be. culti- 

 vated onlv two or three years. Spacing 2 feet by s feet gives the same 

 number of tree- to the acre, and makes it possible to continue the 

 cultivation much longer. Species which need more room can be set 3 

 feet by s feet or 1 feet by s feet. and. as they grow, the -pace required 

 can be obtained by removing the Less promising individuals. The 

 less cultivation that i- to be given a plantation the closer the trees 

 should be set; for, in the absence of artificial method- of conserving 

 the -oil moisture, the stand it-elf must be dense enough to shade the 

 ground and furnish a litter which will maintain the proper moistiire 

 condition-. Without this the tree- will neither grow rapidly nor pre- 

 serve their vigor. On the semiarid plain-, however, wide spacing 

 and frequent cultivation will produce better tree- than close spacing 

 and little cultivation. 



SITUATIONS WHERE CULTIVATION I- UNNECESSARY. 



In river and creek valleys, where water is found at from 5 to 20 

 feet below the surface, cultivation i- not ordinarily necessary after 

 the tree- are thoroughly established. The same i- true in many 

 place- on the upland, where -hallow depressions catch the run-off 

 from considerable adjoining area-. In such situations the supply 

 of water may be concentrated on any desired part of the depression 

 by running furrow- to it from the surrounding slopes. This method 

 has been successfully used by some of the most progressive western 

 farmer-. 



1 ALL I l LTIVATTON II.UIMI I I.. 



Cultivation should not be continued too late in the fall, or tender 

 young -hoot-, which may not be able to withstand the winter, are 

 likely to be produced after the normal growth ha- ceased. Tie' wood 

 should have time to harden before cold weather sets in. If the ground 

 ha- been kept clean, weed- will give little trouble after the middle of 

 August. 



