152 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



seed is allowed to get thoroughly dry, and is kept so until spring, 

 very few, if any, will come up until the second year ; while, if sown 

 as soon as gathered and subjected to a good freezing, the greater 

 portion will come up the following spring ; though a few may wait 

 until the second year. 



The Ash (Fraxinus) must also be sown as soon after gathering as 

 possible, if wanted to come up the first year. The Carpinus (Horn- 

 beam) and the Osirya (Hop-Hornbeam), unless sown in the au- 

 tumn, will not come up until the second 3'ear. The Nyssa (Tu- 

 pelo), Cornus florida, Amelanclder Canadensis (Shad-bnsh), Celtis 

 occidentalism the viburnums and thorns, seldom come until the sec- 

 ond year, although there are a few exceptions, as some varieties 

 will come if exposed to freezing, while of others not a seed will 

 germinate even if frozen. The plum, peach, apple, and pear never 

 come up evenly the first year unless the seed has been frozen or kept 

 in boxes of moist earth. A great man}' roses will not come up the 

 first year, even after having been frozen, although the seed of 

 hybrids will, if frozen for a week or two, come up in less than a 

 month. The Tulip Tree invariably takes two j'ears, and, as the 

 proportion of good seed is as one to ten, it should be sown very 

 thickly to insure even an ordinary crop. I find a good plan, which 

 saves much time and labor, is to take some good-sized boxes, and 

 fill with seed and fine sand in alternate la^'ers ; bui-ying the box in a 

 well-sheltered place and leaving it there one season, lifting out the 

 sand in the spring and sowing the seed thickly in rows, and cover- 

 ing lightly. 



Such seeds, as those of Cercis Canadensis, GleditscJiia triacanthos, 

 Cladrastis tinctoria, and Gyninocladus Canadensis, being verj' hard, 

 should have boiling water poured over them, and then stand for 

 twenty-four hours, when they may be passed through a sieve, the 

 mesh of which corresponds to the size of the seeds to be operated 

 upon. All those not passing through the sieve may be considered 

 fit for sowing, while the rest should be treated to another hot bath 

 until they have all swollen lo the required size. If sown dr\' the}' 

 will keep coming up a few at a time for a year or two. The Ai- 

 lanthus, Cjitalpa, Morus, Platanus, Birches, and Alders are best 

 sown in spring, as soon as the ground is chy enough to work. The 

 ground should be very fine, antl. whether in beds, broadcast, or in 

 (h'ills, the seed should be very lightly covered ; and if a slight screen 

 or shade were used it would be of great benefit to the young seed- 



