104 SEEDING AND PLANTING 



Most seeds of temperate regions mature in the autumn and, 

 as a rule, do not germinate under natural conditions until the fol- 

 lowing spring or later. Except in the warmer parts of the country 

 fall-maturing seed usually germinates under natural conditions in 

 the spring. Among the trees of New England the most notable 

 exception is the white oak. Because of the difficulty experienced 

 in preventing germination and in safely storing over winter, all 

 seeds which under natural conditions germinate in the autumn 

 should be sown immediately after the seed ripens. Most species 

 which mature their seed in the autumn germinate from April to 

 June the following year, the time depending upon climatic condi- 

 tions and the species. 



Seeds that rapidly lose their viability when stored cannot, 

 as a rule, be held longer than the spring following their matu- 

 rity. Thus the balsam fir is the only species of Abies that 

 retains its viability till the spring of the second year after 

 harvesting. 



Were it not for the danger of being destroyed by birds, squir- 

 rels and other rodents, autumn seeding would usually be prefer- 

 able to spring seeding. This danger can be overcome, or at least 

 greatly lessened, by storing the seed over winter and sowing in the 

 spring. The necessity for storing the seed over winter varies with 

 the species. It depends upon: 



o. The probability of the seed being destroyed if not stored. 



6. The probable loss from storage. 



A number of both coniferous and broadleaved species that 

 mature their seed in the autumn do not, under natural conditions, 

 germinate the following spring but lie dormant in the ground 

 and germinate 1 or 2 years later. Among coniferous species some 

 of the pines and junipers germinate so slowly that the seed is 

 usually stratified for a year before sowing. The western white 

 pine, the sugar pine, and Coulter's pine are extremely slow to 

 germinate, often not over 10 to 50 per cent germinate after lying 

 in the ground for a period of from 2 to 5 months. 



When sown in the autumn, the seed of walnuts, oaks, and 

 hickories is particularly subject to destruction by rodents. In 

 some localities, the seed of pine and other conifers is also injured 

 by them. Birch seed and similar small seed can, with more safety, 

 be sown in the autumn. Although chestnut under natural condi- 

 tions does not germinate until spring, the author's experience leads 



