PROPAGATION OF TREES AND SHRUBS FROM SEED. 159 



no preparation except to turn over the sod with a spa^e where 

 each tree was to go, some hundreds of oaks one 3-ear old, and 

 today the}' are fine 3'oung trees, from six to nine feet high, 

 well formed, and much more vigorous than those grown in the 

 nursery, which have had a great amount of care and labor be- 

 stowed upon them. I believe that if man}' of our early planters 

 had used this system in growing oaks, hickories, and other hard 

 wood trees, the}' would not have had so many failures to com- 

 plain of. 



In the first place procure a lot of common boxes, such as may be 

 had at any grocery store ; any kind of boxes will do, though 

 a uniform size is best, as they occupy less space in a six-foot frame, 

 when packed away, than boxes of various sizes would. I usually 

 get those that have contained canned goods, or soap, as they are 

 nearly equal in size, and with two cuts of a splitting-saw you have 

 from each box three flats, from three to four inches deep, which is 

 a good depth for any ordinary seed. With a half-iuch auger bore 

 three or four holes in the bottom of each box for drainage. This 

 will be sufficient for large-rooted plants, while the finer seeds will 

 require to be well drained with broken pots, coarse siftings of peat, 

 or any coarse material that Avill allow the moisture to pass off 

 readily. As soon as the seeds are ripe, in the fall, get togetlier a 

 good pile of compost, made as follows ; two parts rotten sod, one 

 part peat, and one of sand, and if the seeds to be sown are oak, 

 hickory, beech, chestnut, or walnut, add a portion of good rotten 

 manure. For such seeds as 1 have mentioned fill your boxes two- 

 thirds full of the compost, and press down firmly with a board or 

 the hand. Sow the seeds evenly and press them down in the soil, 

 covering them from half an inch to an inch in depth, according to 

 their size. On one corner of each box smooth off a place with a 

 plane or knife, rub over with white lead, and write the name of the 

 seed and the date of sowing. This takes only a few minutes, and 

 is of much value afterwards, especially where a great variety of seeds 

 is sown. It is much better than labelling in the ordinary way, and 

 there is no danger of the record being lost in moving the boxes 

 from one position to another. The finest seeds — such as maples, 

 elms, birches, alders, and others — should be covered, according to 

 the size of the seeds, about their own diameter. After sowing, the 

 seeds should have a good watering v\ith a fine rose, to settle the 

 soil. The boxes can then be piled four or five deep in a pit, 

 the sashes placed in it, and at the approach of cold weather they 



