8 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 



being taken to- select cones which have matured sufficiently for 

 the seeds to be fertile. 



After the cones are picked they should be spread out in the 

 sun on a smooth floor (Fig. 1), where they can be raked over 

 from time to time, to aid drying. In a week or two the scales 

 will begin to open and the seed fall out. The cones can then 

 be raked off and the seed swept up. If the cones are then put 

 into a bag and flayed, any remaining seed will rattle out. The 

 cones should be kept from getting wet while drying, as the 

 scales will close and will have to dry thoroughly again before 

 opening. They should also be kept away from birds and mice, 

 which often destroy large quantities of seed before being de- 

 tected. If a large amount of seed is to be extracted, a drying 

 room with drying racks and screens may be provided. 1 



Spruce, hemlock, larch, Norway pine, pitch pine and other 

 coniferous tree seeds can be gathered and extracted in the above 

 manner. If properly stored, the seed in most cases retains 

 its vitality for a number of years. 



The seed should be cleaned by winnowing, and then put into 

 bags and kept in a cool, dry place through the winter, to be in 

 readiness for planting the following spring. 



The seed of maple, ash and other deciduous trees, except 

 the nut trees, is most readily picked from the tree. The oak, 

 chestnut, hickories, locust and some others ripen their seed in 

 the fall, and shed it to the ground by the action of frost and 

 wind. 



Layering Seed in Sand. 



It is best in most cases to protect the germinating qualities of 

 nut seeds during the winter by storing in sand. 



Layering is a method of storing certain seeds through the 

 winter, and should be resorted to when keeping chestnut, oak, 

 hickories, etc. For this purpose a well-drained slope should be 

 selected, and a hole dug in the ground large enough to hold the 

 seed ; a layer of sand about 3 inches deep should then be placed 

 in the bottom, then a layer of seed, followed by a layer of sand, 

 and so on till the seed is stored. It should then be covered about 

 1 foot deep, to protect it from freezing and thawing. When only 



1 Bulletin No. 73, Forest Service, Washington, D. C. 



