428 REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE. 



pedigreed tree can, therefore, be produced ; and what is equally important, 

 the young stock will not be forced to suffer the shock of long transportation 

 and a change of climate. To those who have studied the question, no 

 stronger argument can be brought in favor of the home production of seeds 

 and trees than effects of climate upon plants. 



The home-grown trees may possess these points of advantage : Freedom 

 from foreign pests, such as the San Jose scale ; to have been grown from 

 buds or scions of perennial bearing trees ; to be thoroughly acclimated ; and 

 last, and by no means least, the orchardist can have his trees grown by con- 

 tract from scions or buds from his favorite trees. He thus has the satisfac- 

 tion of knowing exactly what he has purchased. 



In considering this subject, it has been taken up by topic, in order to 

 give prominence to its various subdivisions. These have been made to con- 

 form as closely as possible to the natural order in which they would be con- 

 sidered by the expert nurseryman. 



NATURAL, PROPAGATION. 



Seedage, i. e., propagation of plants from seeds, is in most departments of 

 our rural art a very easy operation. The nurseryman and florist, on the 

 other hand, frequently encounter, just here, some of their greatest stumbling- 

 blocks. 



For the successful germination of a seed, three conditions are essential, in 

 fact, all three must be present, in order that the life processes in the seed be 

 started. These are heat, moisture, and free oxygen. If any one of this trio 

 be lacking, as has before been stated, germination will not take place. 



With the cereal grains and most garden seeds, these conditions, as they 

 are given us during nature's growing season ( springtime ), are all that is 

 necessary. 



But with hard-shelled and nutty seeds, as well as those having a delicate 

 seed covering and low vitality, the conditions are different. 



Seeds with hard shells or integments, like the apple, peach, plum, acorns, 

 etc., must be stratified, if they are to germinate readily at planting time. 



Stratification is planting in the fall in its simplest form. Seeds of the 

 character above mentioned are gathered at maturity and then immediately 

 stowed away in boxes containing first a layer of sand, then a layer of seeds, 

 then sand, and so on until the receptacle is filled. It is then placed, in the 

 more southern latitudes, on the north side of a building or hedge, where it 

 will freeze and remain frozen during all the colder portion of the winter. If 

 the propagator is further north, he buries the box a few, or many inches 

 deep, according to the depth of the frost line in that locality. 



The intention of this operation is to induce freezing and thawing once or 

 twice during the winter and to overcome repeated freezing and thawing as 

 well as too severe freezing. Bags are sometimes employed instead of boxes 

 as receptacles for seeds to be stratified, but experience has proven that boxes 

 are, under all circumstances, to be preferred. In the case of walnuts or 

 acorns, it is not necessary to take the trouble even to mix them with sand. 

 When such seeds are to be handled in quantity, they may be piled in a broad. 



