25 



very rough ijlanting one man can handle the mattock and prepare the phmting 

 spot, another prepare the planting hole with the spade, and a third do the planting. 

 Uowever, no definite rules can be laid down, and the arrangement must be settled 

 for the individual case. In some lands it might take two men with mattocks to 

 prepare ground for one planter. 



4- 6 



Planting of Nuts. 



Species which have seeds and seedlings subject to man}^ dangers if sown in 

 rough, wild places should be reproduced by using the nursery plant. 



Many of the nut tree species, however, can best be propagated by planting 

 the nuts in final position rather than by using nursery stock. Nut tree seedlings 

 are generally quite hardy after germination, making it quite safe to plant them 

 in rough places. 



The common nut trees growing in Ontario are White Oak, Bur Oak, Red 

 Oak, Black Oak, Beech, Chestnut, Bitternut Hickory, Shagbark Hickory, Butter- 

 nut, and Black Walnut. Of the above 

 species, Eed Oak and Chestnut give pro- 

 raise of being the most useful and prac- 

 tical in waste lands, especially where 

 the soil is light and sandy. Eed Oak, 

 White Oak, Chestnut, Shagbark Hick- 

 ory, and Black Walnut are found natur- 

 ally in loamy soils. Bur Oak and Bit- 

 ternut Hickory are found in the heavier 

 classes of soils. 



The collecting of nut seeds need not 

 be described, as everyone has had some 

 experience. Care should be had not to 

 gather such nuts as Black Walnuts too 

 green. The safest time to collect is after 

 the nuts have naturally fallen to the 

 ground. 



White Oak acorns in the southern 

 part of the Province frequently germin- 

 ate in the autumn shortly after fall- 

 ing. Acorns which have started to ger- 

 minate will need careful treatment in 

 handling. If the acorns are collected 

 upon falling to the groimd and placed 

 in a cool, dry place, there will be little 

 danger of autumn germination. 

 Nuts may be planted in the autumn or stored and planted in the spring. 

 Autumn planting has some drawbacks. The edible nuts are frequently found by 

 squirrels or other rodents before they have germinated. In wet soils and cold, 

 damp seasons the nuts may lose their germinating power from decay. 



The care and storage of nuts needs some attention. The nut may have the 

 husk taken off, although there is less danger of drying out if it is not removed. 

 Drying out is the greatest danger to be feared after nuts have been collected. In 

 no case should they be placed in artificially heated rooms. After collection the 



Fig. 24. — Showing root develop- 

 ment of one year old white pine 

 and red oak. 



