Rural School Leaflet 955 



attempt later to raise the more difficult kinds. The seeds that are easiest 

 to gather are those of the oaks, the maples, the locust, the ash, the 

 hickories, and the beech. 



The soft maple matures its seed in the spring, from the first to the middle 

 of June. The hard maple, and all of the other trees mentioned, mature 

 their seeds in the fall and must be gathered in the fall. In practically 

 all cases, tree seeds must be gathered chiefly by hand. Certain classes 

 of them, such as locust seeds, acorns, and hickory nuts, which fall readily 

 with the wind and frost, may be gathered from the ground after they have 

 fallen. The seeds of the hard maple and the ash should be picked from 

 the tree or collected from the ground as soon as they fall. 



Storing the seeds. — The hulls of seeds such as walnuts and hickory nuts 

 can be dried and removed, and the rjLits spread out to dry in a cool, 

 airy place. Acorns from those kinds of oaks whose acorns are difficult 

 to remove from their cups may be left in storage with the cups attached. 

 The seeds will keep better if allowed to dry slightly, so as to avoid molding. 

 The interval between collecting and storing for winter may be used to 

 dry the seeds. 



The best way to keep seeds is to store them in bags hung in a dry cellar, 

 or to " stratify " them in sand in a pit out of doors. This pit should be 

 situated on raised ground, so as to insure good drainage, and it is often 

 desirable to provide protection against mice and squirrels by means of 

 wire netting or boards. Cover the bottom with a layer of clean sand, 

 two or three inches deep. On this spread a layer of nuts, and then 

 another layer of sand, until all the seeds are stored. The whole should 

 be covered with earth to a depLh of four to six inches. A mulch of 

 leaves and hay spread on top, and then boards or stones to keep from 

 washing, may be an advantage. The freezing that takes place during the 

 winter will not injure the seeds, but rather will assist in opening the hard 

 shells, thus making germination easier in the spring. 



Preparing the seed bed. — In the spring preparations should be made for 

 sowing the seeds in seed beds. The size of the plat of ground needed will 

 depend, of cotuse, on the amount of seed to be sown and the number of 

 pupils who are to sow the seed and maintain the beds. Level or gently 

 sloping ground is preferred to steep ground, in order to prevent washing. 

 Ground that has been under cultivation for a year or more is better than 

 fresh ground, if you are sure that it is free from cutworms and is in good 

 condition. A loose sandy loam is preferable to a clay, and it is most impor- 

 tant that the soil should be rich, mellow, porous, and well drained. The 

 ground should be spaded deeply, worked over, and thoroughly pulverized 

 by raking and harrowing until all clods, stones, and rubbish have been 

 removed. 



