B3 FOREST COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. 



direct rays of the sun, aacl at the same time a free cuculation of 

 air through the plants." 



SOWING SEEDS OF EVERGREENS. 



Seeds of the red cedar (Juniperus Vu-giniana), and a few others, 

 should be mixed with sand, and allowed to freeze during winter ; 

 but the pines, spruces, etc , may be sown early in spring, in cold 

 frames, secure from heavy frosts. If not sown before April, it is 

 hard to 2;et them through the summer. The first three months is 

 the critical time with such seedlings. These seeds are sometimes 

 sown late in autumn, but many of the most successful propagators 

 prefer the early spring. 



Too thick seeding is to be avoided, as the tender plants are more 

 likely to damp off or draw up, when shorter and more stocky seed- 

 lings are desirable. The native evergreens are not tender, and the 

 young plants are more likely to be injured by heat and drouth, 

 than by cold. For this reason the bed or frame containing seed- 

 lings should be located on the shady side of some fence, building, 

 or hedge, secure from the direct rays of the sun, and from drying 

 winds. Partial shade may be secured by a screen made of laths, 

 nailed one inch an! a half apart, or by evergreen boughs, during 

 the hottest part of the summer, to be removed as the cooler weather 

 approaches, and the plants acquire age and size. At no time 

 should the tender seedlings become dry, as drouth, followed by 

 copious watering, is fatal. 



To prevent the seed-bed from becoming dry, mulching with 

 sphagnum, chaff, sawdust, or pine leaves, will preserve a more 

 uniform degree of humidity than can be secured by the frequent 

 api.ilication of water. If, however, watering becomes necessary, 

 which will not often occur when mulching is practised, it must not 

 be neglected. The directions here given are intended as a guide 

 only to those wishing to grow the hardy evergreens, and do not 

 apply to tropical species, which would require different treatment. 



Seeds should be sown in rows running across the beds, one foot 

 apart, with paths between the beds at least two feet wide. 



HOW TO OBTAIN SEEDS. 



There will be no trouble in obtaining seeds of the oaks, walnut, 

 hickory, beech, and chestnut, but of some other species they are 

 not equally accessible. The elm and maples sometimes ripen their 



