Most of the disadvantages of longleaf belong to the seedling stage: 



Planting costs are higher than for the other pines. 

 First-year survival is comparatively low. 



Young stands must be fenced to protect them from woods hogs. 



Even under good conditions, longleaf seedlings usually re- 

 quire at least 3 years to start height growth. The brown 

 spot needle disease often keeps them "in the grass" for 

 several more years, causing loss of growth and further 

 mortality. 



If longleaf is to be planted successfully, methods must be found 

 to improve survival and stimulate early growth. The most practical 

 means of stimulating height growth of longleaf seedlings is carefully con- 

 trolled grass fires that check brown spot disease. 



In a 100-acre experimental longleaf plantation started in 1934-35, 

 plots that were burned at 3 and 6 years of age to retard brown spot in- 

 fection now have twice as many trees in active height growth as un- 

 burned plots. Even on the burned plots, however, only 20 to 25 percent 

 of the original seedlings survived and began growing. Studies were 

 started in 1949 on the Johnson Tract to find a more satisfactory method 

 of stimulating height growth. In the first experiment, longleaf seedlings 

 were planted on replicated quarter-acre plots, each having one of these 

 site treatments: 



Grass burned before planting 

 Soil disked before planting 

 Grass burned and soil disked 

 Furrows plowed with a fireline plow 

 Old grass rough- -no ground preparation. 



Each plot was split into four quarters. Seedlings on one quarter 

 were sprayed with bordeaux mixture and fertilized with an N-P-K mix- 

 ture. The other quarters got one of these treatments: spray but no 

 fertilizer, fertilizer but no spray, no fertilizer or spray. 



After four years, seedling survival was unusually high on all 

 plots and had not been increased by any site treatment. Above-average 

 rainfall favored high survival. Sprayed seedlings were larger and more 

 vigorous than unsprayed. However, the early advantage gained by 

 spraying was not great; 54 percent of the sprayed seedlings were making 

 height growth, as against 40 percent of the unsprayed. The fertilizer 

 did more harm than good except where seedlings were planted in 



