27 



FOREST NURSERIES AND NURSERY WORK. 



W. H. KRAFT, Forester. 



The ever increasing demand for desirable timber trees brings to 

 our mind the mission of Forest Nurseries, which is to supply seed- 

 lings of the most desirable species, in large quantities, at a nominal 

 cost, to be used in reforesting waste and burned over lands. 



These forest nurseries are being established by individuals, rail- 

 road, and lumber companies, state and national governments, for their 

 own use, and professional nurseymen for the sale of desirable seed- 

 lings of the timber species for forest planting. This method is used to 

 overcome the uncertain and slow natural regeneration of our most 

 desirable species of timber trees. 



The forest nurseries I will deal with mostly are the ones now 

 established and operated under the direction of the Pennsylvania 

 Forest Reservation Commission. 



These nurseries, of which there are three principal ones at the 

 present time are so situated in different parts of the State, that seed- 

 lings from them may be supplied to the different reserves without 

 long or expensive shipment. 



The one situated at Mont Alto, Franklin qounty, was established in 

 the spring of 1902, and with which most of you are familiar from our 

 forestry reports. One is situate at Greenwood, Huntingdon county, 

 established in the fall of 1906. The other is situate near Asaph, 

 Tioga county, established in the spring of 1907. Of the nursery at 

 Greenwood, of which I now have charge, I wish to state as follows: 



This nursery contains about two and one-half acres, is situate 

 on a northwest slope in an old field, which was under cultivation 

 for farm crops until the nursery was established thereon. The site 

 is an ideal one for the raising of coniferous seedlings. The soil is 

 of a shaly character and is protected on the west by a strip of wood- 

 land, which breaks the force of the prevailing westerly winds. 



In the fall of 190G, Forester W. L. Byers, had this site plowed, 

 manured, and cleared of stones. He also prepared the soil and 

 planted in nursery rows two feet apart, one and one-half bushels 

 of white oak acorns, one-quarter bushel of pignut hickory, one pound 

 of black locust, which he gathered in the locality nearby. He also 

 prepared twenty nine seed beds 4 x 70 feet, for the planting of white 

 pine seed the following spring. In the spring of 1907, I was placed 

 in charge of this nursery, but owing to the unfavorable weather and a 

 late season I was unable to advance the work begun the fall before, 



