CONCLUSIONS AND 

 RECOn/IMENDATIONS 



1. In planting Douglas-fir, grand fir, Engelmann spruce, and western' larch 

 throughout the fall and spring planting periods in the northern Rocky Mountains, better 

 survival can probably be expected from planting in the spring. 



2. If fall planting is deemed necessary, the land manager is advised to restrict 

 his efforts to drier habitat t)'Ties t)T>ical of southerly exposures. Sui-v'ival on those 

 sites is apt to compare more favorably with that of spring planting than does tliat on 

 moist, northerly aspects. In making the choice between fall and spring planting, the 

 land manager should also prorate the cost of gaining access in the spring against the 

 amount of stock to be planted. 



3. Western larch should not be fall-lifted and planted before October 15. Unfor- 

 tunately, this recommendation may prove to be impractical, since planting can be halted 

 by persistent snow cover in northern Idaho mountains soon after this date. Late spring 

 planting of western larch, especially on dry sites, is not recommended. 



4. If Engelmann spruce is to be planted in the fall, it should be planted as early 

 as soil moisture conditions permit. Planting later than October 1 could seriously 

 jeopardize results. 



5. Although much of the fall planting in this study resulted in satisfactory or 

 acceptable survival rates, our results indicate that equivalent stands can be estab- 

 lished at less cost by general spring planting. 



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