Commonwealth Forestry Review

RESEARCH NOTES
5. GRACE, N. H. 1939. Vegetative propagation of conifers. I. Rooting of cuttings taken
from the upper and lower regions of a Norway spruce tree. Can. J. Res. 17 (Sect. C):
178-180.
6. GRACE, N. H. and M. W. THISTLE. 1940. Vegetative propagation of conifers. V. The
effect of indolylacetic acid and nutrient solutions on the rooting of Norway spruce
cuttings. Can. J. Res. 18 (Sect. C): 122-128.
7. KRUSSMANN, G. 1966. La pepiniere. Vol. I. La multiplication des arbres, arbustes et
conifers. La Maison Rustique, Paris. p. 327.
8. LARSEN, C. M. 1946. Experiments with softwood cuttings of forest trees. Forstl.
F orsogsv. Danmark. 17: 289-443.
9. LARSEN, C. M. 1955. The seasonal variation in the natural rooting capacity of
cuttings of Norway spruce and Sitka spruce. Z. Forstg. Forstpflanzenzuchtung 4:
69-80.
ID. OLIVER, R. W. and S. H. NELSON. 1958. Propagation of spruce from cuttings. Proc.
Plant Prop. Soc. 7: 41-43.
11. PEDERSEN, J. 1965. Propagation from cuttings of Picea pungens "Glauca Globosa."
Proc. lilt. Plant Prop. Soc. 15: 207.
12. SAVELLA, L. 1965. Propagation of Picea pungens glauca cultivars. Proc. Int. Plant
Prop. Soc. 15: 199-202.
13. \VELLS, J. S. 1953. Pointers on propagation; propagating Koster Spruce. Amer Nurs.
98 (9): 13, 48-53.
NIGERIA
Fertiliser Response of Eucalyptus grandis A. L. Mc.Comb, G.C.A. Ojo and J. K.
Jackson.
IN 1966 an inspection of two-year-old plantations of Eucalyptus grandis on the
MambiIla Plateau, North East State showed that most of the trees at both
Maisamari and Nguroje were slow growing and had reddish-purple leaves. Trees
with normal green leaves were two to three times taller. Young maize plants in
adjacent fields showed classical symp'to·ms of p,hosphorous deficiency. Quick tests
made on the soil with Hellige-Truog equipment gave pH values ranging from 5.2
to 5.8 and showed phosphorus, calcium and magnesium to· be very low.
The following experiment was conducted to ascertain if E. grandis seedlings on
one of the soils were suffering from phosphorus deficiency, to determine if other
nutrients might be limiting growth and to see if calcium and magnesium would
improve growth, possibly by increasing availability of phosphorus.
Methods
Two bags of soil were o,btained from the Maisamari plantation through the local
forestry officer. One represented the top soil from 0-6 in. (0-0.15 m.), the second,
subsoil from 12-18 in. (0.30 to 0.46 m). Thirteen nutrient treatments with a control
were applied to each soil in standard (3 x 9 in.) black polythene p,ots. There was
sufficient soil for only seven replicates of the surface so,il and five of the subsoil.
Seeds of E. grandis were sown in each pot and the seedlings later thinned to one
per pot. except for some subsoil pots 'where seedlings grew very poorly. During
germination the pots were watered several times a day by means of a spray to keep
the top 2 in. of soil constantly moist. Sample pots were weighed periodically to
determine the amount of water to be added. The quantity added twice daily was
approximately equal to evapotranspiration losses and it brought the soil to near the
field capacity.
Soil analyses
Standard laboratory chemical and particle size analyses were made on samples
from each lot of soil. pH was determined with a glass electrode in a 1-2.5 soil­
\vater mixture, organic matter by oxidation with chromic acid and phosphorus
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