FOREST PLANTING 143 



DIRECT SEEDING 



Nuts or acorns may be planted in seed spots prepared by dig- 

 ging" up the surface of the ground about a foot in diameter. Seed 

 spots are usually more practicable in unprepared soils, particularly 

 in weedy or grass ground. The spots are spaced the same distance 

 as for the seedlings. Approximately 3 walnuts, 4 oak acorns and 4 

 hickory nuts may be planted in each spot. The soil should be 

 stirred sufficiently to form a seedbed. As a rule depth of planting 

 should be from 3 to 4 times the diameter of the seeds planted, the 

 greater depth being for loose or sandy soil and the lesser for the 

 heavy clays. 



If the ground has been plowed or furrows drawn, the width of 

 rows may be the same as for the use of seedlings of the species. It 

 will be necessary, however, to use more seed in the rows. For 

 black walnut 8-foot rows would require that a nut be planted every 

 2 feet, or about 3 bushels per acre. Red oak rows may be 6 feet 

 apart with the acorns spaced about 1 to 1% feet apart in the rows. 

 Red oak acorns are frequently wormy and for that reason closer 

 spacing in the rows is recommended than for walnuts. From 1% 

 to 2 bushels of seed will be required per acre. The method of 

 planting red oaks may be followed in planting oaks and hickories. 



While 1-year-old seedlings of black walnuts and white and red 

 oak are not difficult to transplant, the use of hickory seedlings is 

 not practicable in forest planting on account of their excessively 

 large tap roots. An excess of seedlings may be cut out or in some 

 cases transplanted. 



The time for direct seeding will depend somewhat upon local 

 conditions, and upon the species. In some localities depredation by 

 rodents preclude autumn seeding. In heavy wet soils it is fre- 

 quently difficult to obtain satisfactory stands from fall planted 

 seeds. 



White oak acorns must be planted in the autumn as soon as 

 they fall from the trees, on account of their short period of 

 viability. If seeds are carried over until spring they should be 

 stratified in sand or in a shallow pit and covered with leaves and 

 earth. Layers of seed and sand in about equal parts may be placed 

 in boxes and storecUn a cool cellar or building, or the boxes may be 

 buried in well-drained soil until planting time in the spring. The 

 storage should be protected from rodents, and if possible should be 

 located in a shady place. 



