254 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



are covered with a much harder covering, such as the peach, plum, and 

 cherry. With such as these we must resort to some method of expanding 

 this hard, bony covering and make it sufficiently porous to admit moisture, 

 for no seed will grow without it. If we let the seed become so dry that 

 there is not sufficient moisture contained within to keep the pores open, 

 then we must employ some agent that will act either chemically or mechan- 

 cally in opening them again. 



The Locust has often been mentioned as one of that class of seeds that 

 is generally found difficult to make grow ; scalding them has been reccom- 

 mended as the best means of aiding their germinating powers, and very 

 probably it is, although we have never found any difficulty in making the 

 seeds of the yellow locust (Eobinia pseudacacia) or the honey locust 

 (Grleditschia tricanthos) grow readily without freezing or scalding, but we 

 gather the seed before they are what is generally termed ripe ; the carbon- 

 aceous matter which incloses the seed at this time is in a state easily acted 

 upon by moisture, and therefore it offers no impedient to its entering to 

 the germ of the seed. 



If the seed of either of these varieties are examined when the pods are 

 just commencing to turn a brown color, they will be found that they are 

 nearly double the size they are when the pods have become dry and fallen 

 from the tree. When such seeds are full grown, they contain all the ele- 

 ments necessary for the proper development into a new individual plant. 



The change that takes place after this while on the tree is merely a 

 hardening process, the covering of the seed, as the watery parts are given 

 off, shrinks, closes up the pores, and compresses the albumen into a 

 much smaller space than it was when in a green state. All the seed of 

 leguminous plants undergo this change to a greater degree than any 

 other class we have examined, and to those who have found it difficult to 

 grow this class of seeds we would recommend gathering earl}-. But it must be 

 borne in mind that nature gave them this covering for their protection, and 

 if gathered before it has become fully matured, they will not bear the 

 rough usage or changes of climate as well as when left to thoroughly ripen. 



We have practiced this plan of gathering seeds early upon many kinds 

 not leguminous, and in most cases we have been well satisfied with the 

 result. It will be remembered by the Club that I exhibited here last season 

 cones, seed, and plants of the great tree of California (Sequoia giantea) ; 

 the cones were taken from the tree before they were full grown, and sent 

 with the seeds in them ; yet they grew readily, and the young plants to 

 this day are vigorous and healthy. 



There has been much disappointment experienced by those receiving 

 evergreen seeds from the Pacific coast, and we would suggest to them to 

 have the cones gathered before they open (but let them be full grown), and 

 have them sent immediately, and we think they will find it cheaper in the 

 end to have them sent in this way although the cost of transportation be 

 considerably more. It is not always the largest and most hardy appearing 

 seeds that preserve their vitality the longest. Some of the most delicate 



