BRITISH FOREST TREES 281 



usually accomplished by planting, which is essentially safe in 

 its results, although the plants remain sickly for some time, 

 rather than by sowing, which is exposed to great danger from 

 grass on moist soil, from drought on dry soil, and from being 

 lifted out of the ground by successive frosts on loose soil. 



Hornbeam is a troublesome species to deal with in so far 

 as it very often shows good spontaneous growth where not 

 at all wanted, and is extremely difficult of cultivation where 

 its appearance is especially desired. On the better classes 

 of soil hornbeam seeds almost annually, with a really good 

 seed-year about once in three years. Like that of the ash, 

 the bulk of the seed germinates only in the second spring 

 after ripening, so that it is usually only sown then, after 

 having been collected in sheets by shaking the boughs and 

 branches about the end of October, or early in November, 

 when it is beginning to assume a brownish appearance ; it 

 falls best on days that have been ushered in by hoar-frost in 

 the early morning. The keeping of the seed is exposed to 

 no special dangers except from mice and drought ; where 

 large quantities are to be kept over, this can easily be managed 

 by burying it in trenches about one foot deep. 



Sowing is most successful where the soil is only slightly 

 prepared with rake or harrow, and the clean un winged seed 

 simply raked in, as it should not have a greater covering than 

 i to J inch, the quantity of seed sown being in the proportion 

 of 25-40-50 to 60 Ibs. per acre according as it is confined to 

 patches, or strips, or sown broadcast over the whole. Unless 

 measures are taken to protect the seedlings against rank 

 growth of grass, the results of sowing are seldom satisfactory. 

 Planting is in general preferable, but, except on fresh or 

 moist soil, it also may prove somewhat disappointing unless a 

 good stout assortment of transplant be used. Where seedlings 

 of three to four years old are available from the woods, they 

 should at once be put out in the nursery-beds about two feet 



