80 THE FOREST TREE CULTURIST. 
from one to two inches in diameter, containing a large 
amount of farinaceous matter, which is very soon affected 
if placed in a dry situation or ina warm wet one. In a 
cool, moist situation they will remain sound for several 
months. Most of them ripen early in autumn, and should 
be immediately spread in a cool, shady place until wanted 
for planting. I have succeeded best by scattering the 
seeds in wide drills, and then filling the interstices between 
them with loose, friable soil, then covering them two or 
three inches deep with leaves. The most of these should 
be raked off in the spring; and so soon as the seeds have 
made an inch or two of growth (which they will do quite 
early), draw a little soil about them. The young seedlings 
have large, fleshy tap-roots producing few lateral ones the 
first season; and they should always be transplanted when 
young, and the tap-root shortened. Never allow them to 
remain in the seed-bed longer than two years. The Horse 
Chestnuts are readily worked one upon the other by bud- 
ding; but as they generally make their entire growth 
early in the season, this operation must be done much ear- 
lier than with many other trees. 
‘ 
Beruta. (Birch.) 
There are several native species of Birch, some of which 
grow to a large size. It is more common at the North 
than at the South. The wood is fine-grained, but not 
tough. Seeds produced in catkins, and are quite small, 
ripen in summer, and should be mixed with sand and 
kept until spring. Trees can also be propagated by cut- 
tings, and succeed best in a moist soil. Leaves entire, 
