FOREST PLANTING IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. T 
desired, it is usually possible to obtain them at a reduced price if a 
contract is made with the nurseryman some time in advance. Lists 
of dealers in nursery stock may be secured from the Forest Service, 
Washington, D. C. Stock from local nurseries is usually preferable 
to that secured from a distance. 
METHOD OF PLANTING. 
FACTORS DETERMINING CHOICE OF METHOD. 
The cost of the actual planting operation is one of the fundamental 
factors in fixing the final cost of the plantation, and so the method 
to be followed in this operation should be given careful consideration. 
What method should be applied depends upon the species and size 
of stock, character of site, condition of stock, and region. 
If for any reason large stock with large root systems must be 
planted, such as hardwoods 2 or more years old or conifers several 
years old, holes must be dug either with a spade or mattock for each 
individual tree. But if smaller stock can be used a more rapid, 
cheaper method may be followed. 
The character of the species alone may be the single factor in de- 
termining the method of planting. For example, the nut. trees 
develop so deep a tap root that it is impracticable with them to adopt 
any method of planting except that of sowing the seed directly on 
the permanent site. 
The character of the site alone may also determine the planting 
method. A very rocky situation may preclude all planting methods 
except that of digging a hole for each individual tree. 
The condition of the particular stock to be planted may make one 
method preferable to another. If, for instance, the trees are received 
in poor condition, or if they happen to have a very poor root system, 
it may be necessary to plant them with particular care. 
The region, together with the species, is an important factor in 
determining the planting method. The climate in one region may 
favor a given species more than that in another region, and hence 
more rapid, less careful methods of planting may be used in one region 
than in another. 
DESCRIPTION OF METHODS. 
Slit method.—The planting method which has probably been most 
often used is that known as the “‘slit method.’ A wedge-shaped 
hole is opened in the ground by inserting a spade and moving it 
backward and forward. The roots of the seedling or transplant are 
then inserted back of the spade in the cleft thus formed, the spade is 
removed, and the earth pressed with the foot firmly around the 
plant. A mattock is sometimes used instead of a spade. With 
this the soil may be loosened over a spot from 10 to 12 inches in 
diameter, and the cleft then made in the center of this loosened soil. 
