18 THE FOREST TREE CULTURIST. 
SEED-BED. 
For nearly all of the hardy deciduous trees (7. ¢., those 
that lose their leaves in the autumn), an open field is a 
cood situation for a seed-bed. The soil should be deep, 
mellow, and rich; if not so, make it so by frequent plow- 
ing and thoroughly pulverizing with the harrow. If not 
rich, apply a good liberal dressing of any old well-decom- 
posed manure. Good barn-yard is good enough if old; 
muck, rotted sods, or leaf mold from the woods will answer 
every purpose. If none of these are at hand, then bone-dust 
or ashes may be used; a ton to the acre will not be too 
much of the latter, or from fifty to one hundred two-horse 
loads of the muck and leaf mold, and half that quantity 
of manure. Double this amount would be still better, 
unless your soil is good at the start. Mix these applica- 
tidns thoroughly with the soil, and harrow all down smooth 
an level, and your seed-bed is ready. Now draw a line 
Fig. .1. 
across one side of the plot, and with a hoe make a shallow 
trench from a half to one inch deep, according to the size 
of the seeds to be sown. (Fig. 1 shows a wide seed drill 
