THE ART OF THE SECOND GROWTH 



Paragraph XXX. Seed planting in seed beds. 



Seedbeds: Prescription for preparation: Plough and cross- 

 plough to a depth of one foot; mix manure well with soil; heap 

 the dirt taken from the paths on top of the beds; remove stones. 



Seeds are planted either broadcast or in drills to a depth gen- 

 erally equaling their longest dimensions. 



A. Broadcast planting is alixrays used in commercial nurs- 

 eries while the sylviculturists use it merely for seeds of small 

 germinating percentage (Bircli, Elm, Beech, Alder and Yellow Pop- 

 lar) or in case of light grained seeds which do not allow of any 

 covering. 



Broadcast planting is permissible if seedlings are kept in the bed 

 one year only. Economy in size of nursery and less weeding are 

 the advantages of broadcast planting. 



With the help of a roller or, better still, of a heavy plank, 

 the surface of the seed bed is pressed down until an even surface 

 is obtained. Then the seeds are planted, dirt or fertilizer or sod 

 ashes sifted on top, and the surface of the bed again pressed down 

 as before. To prevent the formation of a crust, a cover of moss or 

 leaves is often given, to be removed before the time at which 

 the cotyledons are expected to appear. Better than moss or leaves 

 are coverings consisting of Pine branches (exception: on Pine seeds). 



B. Planting in rills. The rills are from one -fourth to three 

 inches wide; made with a "rill board," a plank well seasoned to 

 which mouldings are nailed. These mouldings may either be square 

 or triangular in their cross sections. 



The rills are from five to ten inches apart. Double rills are 

 preferred, lately, in Germany. In order to economize in the use of 

 fertilizer and in order to obtain a compact root system, trenches 

 are sometimes made and filled ^vith particularly fertile soil, at 

 a distance apart equaling that of the rills. These trenches are 

 made with a special " trench hoe," triangular in shape. The seed 

 is put in the rill with the hand, with the help of a reduplicated 

 playing card, a bottle of seed or, better, a stick 2" x 4" grooved on 

 one side and as long as the width of the bed, or, best of all, a 

 hinged gutter into which the seeds are filled by " thimblefuls " or 

 "spoonfuls," evenly distributed in the base of the gutter. The 

 gutter is placed over the rill and opened by pressing the two sides 

 together, when the seeds drop through the " slot." To insure an 

 even distribution of the seed in the gutter, small niches may be 

 provided at short, equal intei'vals at the base of the gutter, the 



