THE ART OF THE SECOND GROWTH 



cultivation seems required for the purijose of checking mice, squir- 

 rels, rabbits and weeds. 



Where acorns are planted for mixture merely with Beech, Pine 

 and Chestnut, irregular patches are planted or else " oversoiling " 

 is used. In the latter case, a handful of acorns is roughly covered 

 by a shovelful of dirt. 



The usual method adopted abroad for raising Oak is dibbling. 

 Care should be taken to prevent dibbled acorns from being placed 

 too deeply. 



The answer to the question whether spring or fall planting is 

 better, depends on the number of enemies preying on the acorns in 

 winter. Since the Black Oaks are not much molested, it might be 

 as well to plant them in fall. Black Oaks suffer little in germinat- 

 ing percentage during winter storage. White Oak acorns, however, 

 are much eaten by mice, squirrels, turkeys, hogs, etc., and would 

 be planted in spring if winter storage did not invite a large loss 

 of germinating percentage. For wintering White Oak acorns, it 

 is best to place them (imitating nature) in sliglit layers under a 

 cover of leaf-mould on fairly dry soil. 



After Charles Heyer: Large baskets are roughly made on dry 

 soil, the bottom and walls lined with moss; within are placed 

 alternate layers of moss or sand and acorns. The basket is roofed 

 with straw. 



After Von Alemann: Ditches 8 feet wide by 10 inches deep are 

 made on dry soil. The acorns must not be too wet when put into 

 the ditch. The cover consists of a layer of vegetable matter. A 

 rough hut is made all over the ditch, out of slabs, bark, twigs, etc. 

 The acorns are stirred up twice a week during Avinter. 



Heyer's method also requires a steep-walled ditch around the 

 place of storage to keep mice out. Possibly it might be wise to 

 keep soaked acorns submerged in running water. 



After Hillerich (Forstmeister at Mitteldick) frost-proof cellars 

 are constructed, some 6 foot deeper than the surface of the soil, 

 stone-walled and stone-floored. The roof, straw-covered or tile- 

 covered, is made fairly airtight. The ncorns are spread on the 

 floor in layers up to 2 feet deep, and are stirred over from week 

 to week. 



B. Chestnuts. 



Chestnuts require more fertile and hence better-prepared soil 

 than acorns. The nut has still more enemies than the White Oak 

 acorn. Its germinating power is much reduced by dry storage over 

 winter. Tlie devices for storing acorns might be used as well for 



