The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1914-06-26
GROWING EVERGREEN SEEDLINGS
IN KANSAS NOT A DIFFICULT MATTER
State Forester Scott Describes How the Operation Conducted at the
State Agricultural CoIege-Grea Care is Necessary in
Handling the Young Trees During the First
Year-No Hard and Fast Rules
[By chas. A. Scott, State Forester, X. 8. A. CT

Of temporary nature and cheaply
constructed. The high screens are
supported on frame on posts seven
or eight feet above the beds. These
structures are of a more permanent
nature and cover the entire area of
ground devoted to seedbeds.
The seed may be sown either in
the fallor spring as may be most con-
venient. 1t is usually sown broadcast
because a larger number of plants
can be grown in each square foot of
bed when sown broadcast, than is pos
sible when sown in drills. After the
seed is sown, II must be carefully GOV.
cred either with sand or seeded soil,
sand being preferable because Of the
fact that 1t allows a ready drainage
of surface water. This covering
should not exceed one-half inch In
depth or the seedlings may never get
above the ground. After the seeds
are covered, the seeded should be
rolled or packed, to bring the surface
covering and the seed in close con-
tact with the soil beneath, so as to
insure uniform termination. After
being rolled or packing, the bed
should be covered with a mulch of
old leaves of sufficient depth to pro-
tect the soil from drying out or from
washing in case Of a dashing rain.
If the seeding is done IN the spring,
and is followed by a period of warm
weather, the seedlings will begin
pushing up in about six or eight days.
1t is very necessary to keep close
watch of the beds and as soon as the
seedlings begin to come up the mulch
must be removed and the screens ad-
justed to admit the desired amount
Of light.
In the seedbeds, the seedlings are
grown very densely; from $50 to 200
to the square foot is considered good
stand. At the close of the first sea-
son they will be two and one-half to
six inches in height. At one year old
they are transplanted to the nursery
rows where they will have room to
develop to the desired size.
For extensive planting, as in re-
forestation work, they are of suitable
size for permanent planting when
from two to four years old. For land.
scape and ornamental planting, they
are grown in the nursery until they
are from six to ten years old. Dur
ing this time they are transported
from one to three times.
1t is during the infancy of the ever.
green seedlings that they require
trained nurses and it is only experts
in the profession that handle them
successfully. Rules for handling the
baby trees until they are three or.
four months old are as cumbersome
and unsatisfactory as certain pre-
scribed rules for rearing a child. It
is here that the experts knowledge
comes into play.
A single glance at the beds is all
that he needs to determine that the
ground is too dry and that the plants
are starving for drink. If few
plants here and there have toppled
over, he knows that the damping-off
fungus is present, and that the
screens must be removed so as to ad-
NIT light and air to dry the plants
and surface soil as quickly as pos.
sible. The damping-off fungus is a
menace to all nurserymen but more
especially to the evergreen nursery
man. Under favorable climatic con-
ditions for the development of this
fungus, it is not uncommon for
nurseryman to lose from 25 to rs per
cent Of his entire stand of seedlings.
During such period, the nursery
man is on his job from the break
Of dawn until the stars begin to
twinkle, adjusting the screens so as
to give the desired amount of light
and circulation of air. 1t is at such
time that the title "nurseryman"
truly describes his work.