Growing and Planting Hardwood Seedlings. 



TABLE 9. Approximate number of seed to the pound. 1 



25 



1 Includes that portion of the fruit which is generally sown. 

 SEASON TO SOW. 



Seed which ripens in the spring or early summer (see Table 1) 

 should be sown at that time. That which ripens in the autumn 

 may be sown then, or stored until spring. Fall sowing is in most 

 regions preferable for all species, if the seed beds can be adequately 

 protected against rodents. It is especially true for such seed as that 

 of the chestnut or the white oaks, which may lose their vitality if 

 stored over winter. Fall sowing should be deferred until just 

 before cold weather sets in. If seed is sown early in the fall, and 

 warm weather follows, the seed may sprout and later be killed by 

 the cold of winter. Spring sowing should be done just as soon 

 as the frost is out of the ground. 



It is generally advisable to mulch fall-sown seed beds with 2 or 

 3 inches of forest leaves or litter. Straw may also be used. This 

 mulch will prevent the rains from washing out the seed and will 

 also prevent the ground from alternately freezing and thawing, 

 and heaving out the seed. The mulch should be removed as soon 

 as the seedlings begin to appear in the spring. 



METHODS OF HASTENING THE GERMINATION OF SEED. 



Seed coats which are nearly impermeable to water are often the 

 cause of delay in sprouting. Fall sowing, or the cold moist storage 

 of the seed over winter, gives a long period for absorbing moisture. 

 The seed will then usually sprout promptly the following spring or 

 summer. Sprouting is sometimes hastened by soaking the seed for 

 several days in cold water. If stored dry and intended for sowing 

 in the spring, the bony-coated seed of black locust, honey locust, 



