an7 ‘\ (lass_C) L) oF Book = -/ #/ 2 / ‘ fr ORES | NURSERY MND REFORESTATION WORK By R. S. LANGDELL, ASSISTANT UNDER THE DIRECTION OF F. W. RANE, STATE FORESTER BOSTON WRIGHT & POTTER PRINTING COMPANY, STATE PRINTERS 18 POST OFFICE SQUARE 1910 APPROVED BY THE STATE BOARD OF PUBLICATION. CONTENTS. Introduction, Mer iomiedemente: The forest nursery, Procuring the seed, Layering seed in sand, Site for a nursery, s Preparation for the seed beds, Time to plant seed, . A marker, Sowing the seed, Mulching, Shading, Damping off, Protection for the winter, Hardening off of evergreens, Transplanting, Puddling, Heeling in young Green: Root pruning, Packing seedlings, : Data on collecting and Stating foceattt tree peed Cost of seedlings and transplants per thousand, Reforestation, Cut-over land, Burnt-over land, . Run-out pasture land, Seedlings and transplants, Varieties to plant, Trees suitable for forest mlantitg | in Mascnchusetts, 5 Nurserymen, Spacing of trees, Heeling in on lot, ; Method of setting the trees, Time to plant, Protection of plantation, Fire lines, Reforestation work done is the ‘State: Reforestation act of 1908 (chapter 478), Sylvicultural characteristics of trees, Trees most commonly found growing in Maseeshicctts ine uses to eich their timber is put, and a few of their most important enemies, Application for examination of lands, - a = aa INTRODUCTION. The State Forester has been anxious to place in .the hands of our people some definite information on forest nursery and reforestation work. It is believed that this bulletin will meet the requirements. Nearly every farm in Massachusetts — in fact, in New Eng- land — has its woodlot, or some land suited only to the growing of trees. In most cases such land has been wholly or partly eut off or burned over, and left as barren, worthless tracts, an unsightly addition to the rest of the property. It is the purpose of this bulletin to set forth a remedy which will bring these waste and denuded lands back into forest erowth, and provide a method to keep them in a condition to be a source of revenue to the owner at a very small outlay. If, when a woodlot is cut off, provision is made for restocking it, either by natural reproduction, as the leaving of seed trees, or by replanting it with nursery-grown stock, much headway will be made towards bringing the waste lands of Massachusetts back into forest growth. Nursery work and that of reforestation go hand in hand though two entirely separate undertakings. It is from the nursery that the young trees are furnished to be used on land to be restocked. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. The work of writing and compiling the data in this bulletin was intrusted to Mr. R. S. Langdell, my assistant, who has for the past three years been devoting his energies to carrying on the nursery work at Amherst, and furthering the reforesta- tion work throughout the State. F. W. RANE, State Forester. Boston, Mass., March 1, 1910. REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. THE FOREST NURSERY. One of the first things in nursery work is the procuring of the seed. In most cases our native trees furnish this in great abundance, though in some years the seed crop is much more heavy than in others, due to climatic conditions. Practically all of the seeds referred to may be easily gathered in almost any locality throughout the State. Procuring the Seed. The white pine (Pinus strobus), our native pine, bears its seed in the cones or burrs, which generally grow in clusters of twos or threes on the upper branches of the tree. Many per- sons wonder why it is that they cannot find the seed in the opened cones picked up in any pine grove; in fact, a number of cases have been known where persons have planted the cones which have fallen to the ground in late fall or winter, the scales open and the seed escaped, and expected to obtain a crop of trees. The seed is located two under each scale of the cone, and is about the size of a raisin seed, being provided with a small, bee-like wing, which favors its distribution by the wind. The cones commence to turn brown in this section about the middle of August, and from then on ripen very rapidly, one or two sunny days drying the scales so that they open and set the seeds at liberty. The cones must therefore be picked while green, before the scales have opened, by climbing the tree and picking by hand or with pruning shears. Sometimes a person may be fortunate enough to find a large number where the trees are being cut for lumber, — they are then readily picked into baskets. The squirrels also at times cut off large numbers of cones, which fall to the ground and can be gathered up, care 8 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. being taken to select cones which have matured sufficiently for the seeds to be fertile. After the cones are picked they should be spread out in the sun on a smooth floor (Fig. 1), where they can be raked over from time to time, to aid drying. In a week or two the scales will begin to open and the seed fall out. The cones can then be raked off and the seed swept up. If the cones are then put into a bag and flayed, any remaining seed will rattle out. The cones should be kept from getting wet while drying, as the scales will close and will have to dry thoroughly again before opening. They should also be kept away from birds and mice, which often destroy large quantities of seed before being de- tected. If a large amount of seed is to be extracted, a drying room with drying racks and screens may be provided.* Spruce, hemlock, larch, Norway pine, pitch pine and other coniferous tree seeds can be gathered and extracted in the above manner. If properly stored, the seed in most cases retains its vitality for a number of years. The seed should be cleaned by winnowing, and then put into bags and kept in a cool, dry place through the winter, to be in readiness for planting the following spring. The seed of maple, ash and other deciduous trees, except the nut trees, is most readily picked from the tree. The oak, chestnut, hickories, locust and some others ripen their seed in the fall, and shed it to the ground by the action of frost and wind. Layering Seed in Sand. It is best in most cases to protect the germinating qualities of nut seeds during the winter by storing in sand. Layering is a method of storing certain seeds through the winter, and should be resorted to when keeping chestnut, oak, hickories, ete. For this purpose a well-drained slope should be selected, and a hole dug in the ground large enough to hold the seed; a layer of sand about 3 inches deep should then be placed in the bottom, then a layer of seed, followed by a layer of sand, and so on till the seed is stored. It should then be covered about 1 foot deep, to protect it from freezing and thawing. When only 1 Bulletin No. 73, Forest Service, Washington, D. C. Fic. 1.—Pine cones spread out to dry, order that seed may be extracted. REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 9 a small amount of seed is to be stored, a large drain pipe set in the ground with the bottom covered with fine mesh wire is very convenient, the seed being layered inside the pipe, to protect it from rodents. A wooden box used instead of the drain pipe will answer the purpose very well, and make it easier to remove the seed in the spring. Site for a Nursery. A level, well-drained site should be selected for a nursery, the soil being preferably a sandy loam, not subject to washing and free from stones. It is also well to select a plot near the house, where it will be convenient to take care of, and offer some pro- tection from birds and rodents, which often destroy the seed after it has been planted. A small plot in the garden will be well suited for the purpose. Preparation for the Seed Beds. The land to be used for the seed beds should first be well plowed and harrowed till the soil is pulverized. A small amount of well-rotted barn-yard manure, free from weed seeds, may be used to advantage. The beds should then be laid out, the most convenient size being a bed 4 feet wide and any convenient length, with walks 2 feet wide between the beds. If the surface soil retains water it will be well to raise the bed a few inches above the walk, and have it about 1 inch higher in the center than on the sides. This will give the moisture a chance to drain off. After the beds have been made up they should be raked over with an iron rake till all small stones and lumps have been removed and the soil thoroughly pulverized. The beds are then ready for the seed, which may be planted in drills or sown broadcast. Time to plant Seed. As a rule, the seed should be planted in the spring, as soon as the ground has warmed up a little, it being generally advisable to plant the seed in drills, to facilitate cultivating the seedlings. If planted broadcast, the seedling growing near the middle of the bed will be limited for light and space. 10 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. A Marker. For making the drills to plant pine seed, a marker made of strips of wood 4 feet long, nailed to cross-pieces on a board, with the strips about 4 inches apart, and so arranged as to make a drill about 14 inch deep, has been found very useful. The marker (Fig. 2) can then be pressed down across the bed. If, each time it is moved, the inside cleat is allowed to rest in the trench previously made by the outside cleat, very uniform drills can be made. Sowing the Seed. After the drills have been made, the seed should be sown similarly to any garden seed. In case of pine seed, if sown nearly touching each other, 1 pound would cover a bed 4 feet wide and 40 feet long. After the seed is sown, it should be covered by lightly brushing or sifting a little fine soil over it and firming it slightly. If the marker has been made by nailing strips to a smooth board, the back side can be used for this pur- pose. Some nurserymen advise making a box bed similar to a hot bed, but with holes in the side to act as ventilators and for drainage, a wire screen protecting the beds from rodents. Mulching. As soon as the seed is sown, the beds should be covered over with leaves or needles about 3 inches deep, in order to hold the moisture in the ground and keep an even temperature. ‘This prevents. the soil from becoming dry, in which case the seed would not germinate. As soon as the seed commences to appear above ground, the mulch should be carefully removed. Screens for shading should be provided in the mean time, as pine seed does not generally germinate for from two to three weeks. Shading. For the first two years most coniferous seedlings need to be protected from the sun (Figs. 5 and 6). For this purpose both screens (Fig. 3) may be cheaply made, using two laths as cross- pieces, and nailing others to them about their width apart. If a lath is nailed on slanting through the middle, it makes the screen H H ' a ere KI t BBE OS eas oS ae re IL ee ee) : ; : ' == s ‘ ' i a’ H i ' ' ! : ; H ! a Fie. 2.— View of marker for making drill in which to sow evergreen seeds. Fic. 3.— View of lath screen to be used in shading evergreen seedlings from the sun Fic. 4.—Stake to be driven into ground to hold screens above the seed beds. REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. ifs | much more firm. The screens should then be placed about 1 foot above the bed, the laths running north and south. Stakes with a cross-piece 1 foot long nailed on top (Fig. 4), stuck into the ground at each corner of the screens, will hold them in place. Damping off. After the seedlings have appeared above ground and the mulch been removed, a dangerous disease to the seedlings is liable to appear, especially if cool, wet weather sets in. This disease causes the seedlings to wilt or die off in large numbers, the stem near the ground rotting off, so that the seedling tips over and dies. The best way to prevent this disease is to remove the screens for a short time each day. Care must, however, be taken not to allow them to remain off long enough for the sun to burn the seedlings, as they are very tender at this stage. If the beds are sprinkled with coarse sand, it also prevents the soil from becoming wet and damp. The seed beds should be carefully weeded as soon as any weeds appear, care being taken not to root up the seedlings. After the seedlings have obtained a good start, the roots have branched out and a firm hold has been secured, a small hand weeder may be drawn between the drills, to remove the small weeds and at the same time cultivate and fine the soil about the roots of the trees. Oak, chestnut and other deciduous tree seeds may be sown in beds 8 or 10 feet wide and 25 to 50 feet long, the seed being planted about 2 inches apart in trenches 1 foot apart. This leaves ample space for cultivating seedlings. It is a safe rule to plant seed twice its own depth, as if planted too deep it is lable not to come up till the following spring. Under average condi- tions, deciduous seeds need not be mulched or shaded. In a short time they should be of sufficient size so that a small hand cultivator may be used. Protection in the Winter. In order to protect the tender seedlings from alternate freez- ing and thawing during the winter, they should be mulched with leaves, pine needles or straw. The screens should then be removed from the seed beds of evergreens, and the mulch spread over the beds to a depth of from 3 to 4 inches. The screens can 12 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. then be laid down on the mulch, to hold it in place and prevent it from being scattered by the wind. The seedlings of deciduous trees need not be mulched, but it is often well to hill them up slightly just before the ground freezes, by piling a littie earth up around the stem with a hoe or culti- vator. Mulching may, however, be resorted to where the winter is severe. In the spring, as soon as the snow is off and the frost out of © the ground, the mulch should be removed and the screens put up over the evergreen seedlings. Weeding should be done when necessary during the season, from three to four times probably being sufficient if they have been well taken care of in the pre- vious year. Hardening off of Evergreens. In the later part of the season, when the sun is not as strong as during the summer, the screens should be removed for a short time each day, a little longer each time, and finally left off alto- gether. This will harden the plants, and get them into condition to withstand the second winter without mulching, so that they will be ready to transplant in the following spring. Transplanting. When the white pine seedlings are two years old, they should be either transplanted in the nursery (Figs. 7 and 8) or set in their permanent sites. It is generally preferable to transplant them in the nursery for one or two years, in order to form a more compact root growth and make a more stocky plant. In the spring, as soon as the frost is well out of the ground (April or May), the seedlings should be dug up and tied in bunches of 50 or 100. In digging, care should be taken not to break off many ot the small rootlets. It is also better to choose a cloudy day for the work, rather than a bright, sunshiny day, when there is danger of the roots drying out quickly. Puddling. As soon as the trees are dug and tied into bunches, the roots should be dipped into a puddle of mud and water, mixed to the consistency of common paint. This covers the roots with a thin coating of dirt, which prevents their coming in contact with the air and drying out. ATT EIEATTD <2 1 S385 TEAL : a WANA ES SF FE EEE i SSeS NNN EE SITTIN “eer ce es SS = SSS WO ~ ~N Fic. 5.— Showing method of screening evergreen seedlings from the sun during the first year. ATT TS ws Bt 5 WAN NARA ARS +55 005655 Se TILA Fic. 6.— View of the seed beds with screens removed, to allow the beds to dry out and prevent damping off. Fic. 7. — View of transplant beds, seedlings being set in rows abouta foot apart, to aid in cultivating. Fic. 8.— White ash transplants, two years old, ready to set in permanent site. REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 13 Heeling in Young Trees. To keep the trees in good condition till ready for transplant- ing, they may be temporarily set in a trench about 1 toot deep, dug with one side on a slant. The bunches of seedlings may then be placed side by side against the slanting trench, and a little damp soil thrown over the roots and firnied down. Most hardwood trees should be transplanted when one year old, as they develop a long tap root, which, if allowed to grow for a number of years without resetting, becomes so well rooted that it will be impossible to dig up the plant without serious injury. Root Pruning. In order to cause the tree to develop a compact root growth, it is generally considered advisable to cut off a portion of the tap root on deciduous seedlings, such as ash, hickories, catalpa, etc. The cutting off of about one-third of the root causes it to develop a lateral growth. Packing Seedlings. When the trees are to be removed to some distance from the nursery, the bunches should be packed in boxes, with the roots in damp sphagnum moss. & yp cety pl oJ < 94 . 1 sg pr a Je 4 Reforestation << DmY Ss preeny cird)S PRNES —__—__,, N ee’ ZZ7_ 0 Kes ee WHITE PINE Plantation thirty-eight years old LANGDELL, Assistant under the direction of F. W. RANE, State Forester D> > LIB Nn il NIT 0000897 ?1lieea == |