The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1920-10-02

lower altitude where more vigorous plants COULD
be produced In the longer growing season ana ing
trees be dug and placed upon the planting areas
as soon as weather conditions made spring helde
planting possible. 4
The monument nursery site was chosen ana
deyeIoped in the spring of 1907 as result of the
two years experience with the other two sIna' \
SITES The monument site has proved satlslac.ois
and is now producing the large amount OF yei'o"
pine. Douglas fir and Engelmann spruce. anu Vi.
small amount of timber pine now being piah'eu
nearly upon Pixies Peak.
After field planting. further seedlings OF DOUG
las fir were brought In and planted in the Bear
Creek region with little better success, as ll's
small planting showed thirty-fve per cent ah'e.
OF this field planting, study was mace anu
a map completed showing the extent OF the 'spsSs
which should be planted with the different spec.os
of trees which grow originally upon the area. = ne
first experiments were made at the lower ai.'-
tudes with yellow pine and Douglas mr.. IN .he
more recent years the production of Engelmahh
spruce and timber pine for the high planning
types has been taken up The low percentage
of survival In the earlier paintings showed the
need Of the most vigorous transplants tha' cou'u
be produced, and this was secured IN the '""-
one plant, as leaving the tree two years 10 the
seed bed gave plant readily handled IN trans
planting while the one year In the transpah'
Ind protlured a we'll developed tree with CHS
tered root system made UP Of fine r0otiets OF
much greater area than that OF tree crown OF
sevapOrating surface
Some 4.575 acres have been planted on the
Pike national forest for the most part In me
Colorado Springs region and In the vicinity OF the
famous auto highway to the top of Pixies PEAK
An additional thousand acres Is also being re-
forested in this vicinity. Fully eghty-hve per
cent OF the area which has been artificiay planted
70 mines aud spruces can be considered as sue
cessfully stocked with trees. Such losses as nave
occurred are due principally to the planning OF
Austrian pine \ species which is here out OF IT'S
habitat While fall planting may succeed IN
regions where there are eafly and abundant SHOWS
such conditions cannot be depended upon along
the eastern slopes of the Rocky mountains.
The principal species planted are yellow pine
IN the lower foothills which In turn gives way
10 Douglas fir and Engelmann spruce on the
higher slopes. timber zine being used for windy
exnosed regions. The trees are planted eight ny
eight feet or about 100 an acre. and the average
cost of planting including the cost of producing
tho trees at the nursery Is approximately S11 an
aero which Is considered moderate when the
rugged and rocky region in which the reforesta
zion work is being carried on is considered. Gen
orally speaking, 1t may be said that the annual
survival Of trees varies from 60 to 80 per cent.
There was little public interest in the work
a. first The slow growth of the trees and the
slight showing each year had much to do witt
,h;s lack of enthusiasm the part of the public
In fact. in the early paintings complaint was
made Though scrupulo,is care was taken to guart
against it) that in planting these watersheds I'M
nrosence of camps for the planters would pOllut'
the water of the cities using II for municipal
81 supply. One prominent citizen spoke with ridicu'
I'll Of the project. claiming II was absurd to spenf
the peoples money for refor-station above al
s. ATTITUDE of 1000 feet because above this altitude
. the growth was slow that such paintings coul'
never be of value. Now thar the trees show wei
over the plantations, there is hearty approval 70
what has been accomplished.
So It seems that The millions Of those VIII
have seen Pixies Peak may not know the oil
3 fellow when next they make the trip, for he viii
have new face some day.
e. 1890. Western Newspaper unssA,