12 MICHIGAN ROADS AND FORESTS 



MICHIGAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION 



The Michigan Forestry Association was organized in Grand Rapids August 30, 1905, having for its object the promotion of a ra- 



tional system of forestry in Michigan. The society is managed by the following roster of officers: President, Hon. Chas. W. Garfield, of Grand 

 Rapids; Vice-President, John H. Bissell, of Detroit; Secretary, Filibert Roth, of Ann Arbor; Assistant Secretary, Henry G. Stevens, Detroit; 

 Treasurer, W. B. Mershon. Saginaw, W. S. Board of Directors Hon. T. E; Seal, Ann Arbor; J. J. Hubbell, Manistee; Mrs. Lena E. Mautnet, 

 Saginavv; Prof. James Satterlee, Lansing; J. C. Knox, Cadillac; W. E. Williams, Pittsford; Dr. Lucius L. Hubbard, Houghton; Mrs 

 John C. Sharp. Jackson. 



FOREST NURSERIES place. Pulpless pods, like those of black locust, . The only accurate way to determine the qual- 



EVID cr>U/~WM c lnay be dried and the seeds thrashed out with a ity of seeds is by a germination test One way 



rOK SCHOOLS flail. Acorns of bur oak and of several other of making such a test, which can be employed 



_ species of oak which are difficult to remove conveniently in the case of the smaller seeds, 



_ .. . T from their cups may well be 'eft in storage with is to count out a number of seeds and place 



their cups attached. Nearly all seeds, including them on a plate between two folds of moist 



In deciding what kinds of seeds to collect, those divested of hull or pulp, should be dried blotting paper. The larger the number of seeds 



several things must be considered. Among slightly to prevent molding. Most tree seeds us ed the more accurate will be the results of 



them are: w ''l be gathered a few weeks before it is time the test. The number used will of course de- 



,,.. ,,,, . . . to store them permanently for the winter and P ellcl on the supply at hand. If there is a plen- 



I What trees will grow in the locality? should be spread out to dry during the interval: tiful supply of seeds, at least 100 should be 



Only those trees should be raised in the school Nuts and acorns are best kept on a dirt floor, used. On a slip of paper record the variety and 



nursery which are suited to the local climate. All should be examined frequently for signs of number of seeds to be tested and the date. 



For example, trees native to warm regions molding or of too much drying. If the seeds Place this record on the edge of the plate. 



should not be planted in cold climates, nor a r e molding they should be spread out to the Cover the whole with a pane of glass or an- 



, , . air in thinner layers. If they are drying out other plate and set in a warm room (68 to 86 



> wh.ch require much moisture in and re- too much it can be dete cted by cutting into the deg. F.). Examine the seeds every 24 hours for 



seeds and examining the kernels. Any shrink- * vvo weeks, or as much longer as may be neces- 



(2) Are they difficult to grow? Do they re- a e f the kernels will indicate a 1 drying out, sary. Keep the blotting paper moist, but not 



quire much care? Conifers, commonly known a '! d tbis may be remedied by covering the seeds saturated. As soon as the seeds are well 



with clean sand or chaff. sprouted count out those which failed to ger- 



and eV s e p r r g u r c e e e s nS \re Xa no P t recommended"^ school Acorns and other " uts are best stored du " n * T^ ^ ^ T this determine ^ percentage 



* urserie " be'cua of th conTtar t car and a? fhe winter ^ bein S buried in sand in a * ou * ? *? ^ " ?" S P ercen , tage falls J e ^ 



entior which thev reauire E* tC fi, J, * d - This pit should be situated on raised ow " ! he s , eeds are f P oor , 1^'ty and should 



ennoi i tney require during the hrst sea- d t |l : nsure o. ood drq ir,arp rhp lie re J cc ted if another supply which is likely to 



sons growth. The common broadleaf trees are V nd f so as ; to ^ n " r g ? od J^h Sards o? give better results is available. If no others 



best for school growing, since most of them ; \ des \ th P' ' sh ) ouW be J d J* . boar g arc to be had, plant the seeds more thickly in 



can be grown from seed with a minimum amount JJ r . the rows 'than usual 



of irtpntir>n tn e bottom with a layer of clean sand 2 or 3 u %, . 



(V Will the trees when irrown ^rv P j inches deep. On this spread a layer of the nuts, . | h . ls method is a good one for small seeds. 



(A) will the trees when grown serve any , another laver of sand and so on until but ls not applicable to acorns and large nuts, 



of 6 the 'sZof o~L?e U th d e Sr*V a " ^ ^ s ored. Then'over the who ^ -' d *, of course, be kept sulciently 



Should be e ected for I nZTJ ZhlJ f* w ith earth to a depth of from 4 to 6 inches. To m ' st . b - v blo "' n S a P er to render germinattion 



'' h "" * ^ '" Sha " W 



l l-eof moist 



which will produce fuel or timber if transplant- o , - ars or '"S 1 ? 8 - . Anv _ ordinary freezing 



ed to the field or woodlot which takes place during the winter will not Preparing the Seed Bed. 



Fnr tVipep rpacrmc noiUr ,rn t~ n * damage the seeds, but rather help in opening , ... ... 



f these reasons it is usually well to collect , J* . , ,, / insurinc- easv termination The bed ln whlch the seeds are to b e planted 



i S ^r f co^r^ lin^^oS f^ S '^^^^r^S, should be located on ground which is we,, 



out the greater portion of the eastern United however, may prove disastrous by destroying drained. Level or gently sloping ground should 



States maples, locusts, ashes, elms, oaks, bass- , the vlt , aht y of , the . , se ? ds - , Seeds which have be se i e cted, for if it is too steep the soil may 



wnnH hirtnrips iir-ilnnt nnAroinuJul . been frozen should be planted immediately , T/ . 



\vooo, nicKones, walnut, cottonwood, ooxelder, . . , ,. ,. . , be washed awav f nnssih P tn spmrp it 



anrl vpllnw nnnlar arp om^ncr tv, K O C+ (^ upon being removed from storage; a few hours ~. , V. , :t> 



I yellow poplar are among the best for plant- ' * nrevent the eermination of manv & round whl ch has been under cultivation for a 



m ?'^ d ? "I- 10 " 5 ' sucb ,, as ,. the western parts "P s " ln * year or more and which is well pulverized is 



of Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, . , , , . . better for the ournosp than npw D-rmmd ?nmp 



trpps must hp splertpd whirJ, 7ill rp=;< t ^r^i,o Another method of storing nuts is to mix ' 



trees mus xted which will resist drought. , . h ,. tit f d h ^p t times the use of such ground can be secured on 



Black locust, green ash, osage orange and Rus- l iu_quantity c r h d { cultivated fields or ffardens 1 



sian mulberry are especially suitable for this and P Iac ,, e . them > a closely covered _ wooden ^ on the school e rou rd ' 



purpose. Nearly all the trees mentioned in this box - , Thls b .^ should tbe " be f s " k J nto th Cae should be tak 1 to select - 



nar-nrranh as wpll as manv nttipro oi^Vi ac m -,<r ground to within a few inches of the top, and , *" 



nolia B red'bud w low oak ^ 'nd live oak rth heaped up over it in a mound so as to ( fronl 1 the P'^ground, where it will not be 



successfullJ in The Gulf state In the pS P rot cct its contents from frost and rains. It ^mpled upon. Unless the plat of ground to 



J-J i L racuhc ' , , , . , well-drained elevated he used IS protected properly m this respect, all 



northwest, while some difficulty may be encoun- s ^rt,- } work done mav be useless 



tered in collecting seeds from native broadleaf ^ound, so that it will be kept dry. This method 



trees, any of the group indicated as available of storage is simpler than the stratification If there is any choice to be had as to the kind 



for the eastern United States may be expected method described in the preceding paragraph, of soil, a loose, sandy loam should be chosen 



to thrive a "d is likely, under ordinary conditions, to give rather than clay. the majority of instances, 



Most tree seeds mature in the fall, and must inst as satisfactory results. It is an especially however, schools will have to be content to put 



be gathered as soon as they ripen The seeds of desirable method in the southern states, where, whatever soil is available into as good condi- 



a few species such as silver maple and elm during mild winter weather, the nuts are likely tion as possible under the circumstances. It is 



ripen late in the" spring, and should be collected to s P rout if , b " ri( ;d in layers of sand. well to have the seed bed in a place where it 



then and immediately planted, since they soon Seed s such as those of mulberry, catalpa, osage will not be exposed too directly to the sun. If 



lose their vitality orange, 'and a few other trees may be kept in possible, it should have a partial protection by 



Tree seeds must be collected chiefly by hand- ? ood condition by being placed in' sacks hung being situated to the east or north of a grouo 



picking. Certain classes of them, such as honey in a c o1 ' df y P lac . e awa y from dan S er of in " cf , T tr ? e! r b ildi ngs 



locust seeds, acorns, hickorynuts, walnuts, and J ur >" b y rats and mice. Unless the land to be used is very rich and in 



butternuts, which fall readily with the wind T^ti the <WH<; good condition for the nursery, it is well to en- 



and frost, may be gathered from the ground r ch rt . fa . the , . fai ' WI *- w , ell -rotted manure. The 



after they have fallen. The smaller, thin-coated A few weeks before time to plant the tree ground should then be plowed or spaded deeply 



seeds, like those of maples, boxelder, ashes, and see d.s it will be well to test them in order to see a 4 ?' lth f . ut preparation during the 



elms should be picked from the tree by hand or ;f th h reta ; n ed their vitalitv while in stor In > t SI ?? ng ' - as , soon , as , conditions 



collected from the ground as soon as they fall w '" P ermr - ll should ^ ln b e worked over with 



Since the first seeds which fall are often sterile age - II 1S 'mpprtant that this be done, because a spade or plow and thoroughly pulverized by 



care should be taken to collect only the fertile of tlie disappointing results from sowing poor raking and barrowit"? tmtil all clods, stones, 



seeds which fall later. Methods of testing the sc % ds ; ? " d rubbish have been removed. The better 



germination of seeds will be discribed later in Cut or break open a number of seeds and ex- the condition of the soil the better the results 



this article amme the kernels. If the seeds are in good con- will be. Too much attention can not be given 



c . ,.h c A dition for growing, the kernels will be plump to the preparation of the soil. 



and firm. If the kernels are withered, the seeds The size of the plat of ground needed will, of 



Thick hulls like those of the walnuts and are unfit for planting, and should be discarded course, depend upon the amount and variety of 



hickorynuts should be dried and removed and if a better supply can be obtained. If not, sow seeds to be sown. The seeds of the common 



the nuts spread out to dry in some cool, airy them more thickly than customary. broadleaf trees should be planted in rows. If 



