The Ordway new era., 1920-10-08

lower altitude where more vigorous plants could
be produced in the longer growing season and the
trees be dug and placed upon the planting areas
weather conditions made spring field
planting possible.
The monument nursery site chosen and
developed in the spring of 1907 n result of the
two years experience with the other two small
sites The monument site has proved satisfactory
and is now producing the large amount of yellow
pine, Douglas fir and Engelmann spruce, and the
small amount of Timber pine now being planted
nearly upon Pixies Peak.
After field planting, further seedlings of Doug
las fir brought In and planted In the Bear
Creek region with little better success, as this
small planting showed thirty-fiye per cent alive.
OF this field planting study was made and
n map completed showing the extent of the types
which should be planted with the different species
of trees which grow originally upon the area. The
first experiments made mt the lower altl-
tudes with yellow pine and Douglas fir. In the
recent years the production of Engelmann
spruce and Timber pine for the high planting
types has been taken up. The low percentage
of survival In the earlier paintings showed the
need CT the most vigorous transplants that could
be produced. and this was secured in the two
plant, leaving the tree two years In tho
seed bed gave n plant readily handled in trans
planting, while the one year. in the transplant
had produced well developed tree with clus-
tered root system made up of fine rootlets of
much greater area than that of tree crown or
evaporating surface.
Some 1915 acres have been planted the
Pike national forest, for the most part in tho
Colorado Springs region and in the vicinity of tho
famous auto highway to the top of Pixies Peak.
An additional thousand acres is also being re-
forested in this vicinity Fully elghty-hve per
cent of the area which has been arifcially planted
to pines and spruces can be considered MS sue
cessfully stocked with trees. Such losses ns have
occurred due principally to the planting OF
Austrian pine, species which is here out of its
habitat While fall planting may succeed in
regions where there early and abundant SHOWS,
such conditions cannot be depended upon along
the eastern slopes of the Rocky mountains.
The principal species planted are yellow pine
on the lower foothills which In gives way
to Douglas fir and Engelmann spruce the
higher slopes, timber pine being used for windy.
exposed regions. The trees are planted eight by
eight feet or about 700 an acre and the average
cost of planting including the cost of producing
the trees Mt the nursery, Is approximately Sl1 an
acre, which Is considered moderate when the
rugged and rocky region in which the reforesta-
tion work is being carried on is considered. Cen
orally speaking, II may be said that the annual
survival of trees varies from 60 TO 90 per cent
There little plbllc interest in the work
at first. The slow growth Of the trees and the
slight showing each year had much to do with
this lack of enthusiasm the part of the public.
In fact, in the early paintings complaint was
made (though scrupulous cnre was taken TO guard
against iD that In planting these watersheds the
presence of camps for the planters would pollute
the water of the cities using It for municipal
supply One prominent citizen spoke with ridlcule
of the project, claiming 1t absurd to spend
the peoples money for reforestatlon above
altitude of 1000 feet because above this altitude
the growth slow that such paintings could
never be of value. Now that the trees show well
over the plantations there Is hearty approval for
what has been accomplished.
So 1t that the millions of those WHO
have seen Pixies Peak may not know the ola
fellow when next they make the trip for he win
have a new face some day
t9. 1920. Western Newspaper UnIon)