26 PKACTICAL FOKESTRY. 



the like, are enclosed in substances, the decay of which 

 usually causes the death of their germs. 



With these examples before us, we can readily say that 

 while Nature "doeth all things well" for her own use, 

 man can and has improved upon her methods for supply- 

 ing his own needs ; therefore, in raising trees from seed, 

 we follow Nature's guidance only so far as her ways 

 serve our purpose. We do not scatter acorns and hickory 

 nuts over dry leaves in a forest, and expect them to 

 grow more readily and better than when planted in a 

 good artificially prepared soil and covered a proper depth. 

 But with other kinds we find shade, which young 

 seedlings receive as they come up in the forests essential, 

 hence, we are obliged to provide it, when the same 

 kinds are raised under wholly artificial conditions. 

 These variations are mentioned here, because there are 

 certain would-be teachers of arboricultnral science, who 

 are continually holding up Nature or natural methods of 

 propagating trees as the only true ones, and deprecating 

 any departure therefrom. 



The seed of all trees and shrubs grow readily under 

 what may be called artificial conditions, and we have 

 only to take cognizance of their distinctive characteristic 

 and provide for the same, in order to be successful in 

 growing them. Seeds that are small and enclosed in a 

 thin shell or husk, should not be kept for any consider- 

 able time in a dry atmosphere before planting, or buried 

 deeply in the soil. The large and coarser kinds will 

 withstand more exposure and ill-usage — but even these 

 respond promptly and generally to good treatment. As 

 the space at my disposal will not admit of giving sj^ecific 

 directions on the management of all the different species 

 and varieties of trees in cultivation, I can only give 

 briefly general rules and methods for raising trees and 

 shrubs from seed. 



In the region where they are grown, or in similar lat- 



