SEEDS 49 



some of the moisture from the mass and lower the temperature. 

 The object is to have the seed at just the right point for germinating 

 at the proper time for sowing. 



THE TIME FOR SOWING CONIFER SEEDS 



For some varieties the best results are obtained from sowing the 

 seed in late Autumn; others respond and give better germination 

 when planted in the early Spring. However, in Spring planting 

 the propagator must bear in mind that the little seedlings should be 

 well above the ground before the hot sun of Summer is ready to beat 

 down upon them. 



THE BEST TYPE OF SOIL FOR SEED BEDS 



Every propagator has his own idea regarding the proper soil for 

 the production of coniferous seedlings. However, a visit to the 

 nurseries located throughout the United States and Europe will 

 show that coniferous seedlings are being successfully grown upon 

 almost every type of soil, from a pure sand to a heavy clay. There 

 is just one point to bear in mind, and that is that the soil must have 

 good bottom drainage. It has always appeared to me that the 

 treatment of the soil to put it in a proper condition for sowing was 

 of as much importance as the type of soil itself. I want to emphasize 

 the fact that the physical condition of the soil is of as much im- 

 portance as the chemical composition. 



In preparing the area which has been set apart as ground suitable 

 for the production of coniferous seedlings it is necessary to have 

 enough land to take care of an annual planting every year for five 

 years. Under this system you will be in position to remove all the 

 seedlings from a bed at the end of the third year, thus leaving the 

 area vacant for the application of fertilizer or the growth of a cover 

 crop to put the soil in fine condition to receive a second planting 

 of seed. A soil may be rich with all of the necessary chemical ele- 

 ments but what the grower demands is that the soil can be readily 

 worked. Therefore, the physical condition of the soil is of as much 

 importance as the chemical composition. 



WINDBREAKS FOR SUMMER AND WINTER PROTECTION 



Plant evergreen windbreaks completely around the area selected 

 for seed beds. Plant a single row of evergreens every 150 feet across 

 the area, running parallel with the beds. These windbreaks temper 

 the cold drying winds of Winter and assist in maintaining a more 



