PRACTICAL FOEESTEY. 



cones as fall readily apart, and from which the seeds easily 

 escape and are lost. Sometimes, as in the case of rare seeds 

 and when only a few cones are borne near the top of the 

 tree, the seed-collector must have resource to climbing up by 

 the stem and branches : but, in such cases, so as to avoid 

 injury to the bark, he should be provided with a pair oi 

 elastic shoes or slippers. Great care is required in the 

 collecting of such seeds as those of Abies nobilis and A 

 Nordmanniana, the cones, when fully ripe, falling to pieces 

 on the slighest touch. This, however, applies with equal 

 force to almost every species of Abies, whereas, with the 

 Pines and Spruces, the cones remain intact for an almost 

 indefinite period of time, and that, too, although the seeds 

 may have fallen out on becoming ripe. 



The proper harvesting of tree seeds rarely, except in the 

 case of experienced nurserymen, receives sufficient attention, 

 although this operation should be as carefully attended to as 

 in the case of the seeds of any form of crop. After being 

 collected, the seeds of all trees, unless such as are mixed 

 with sand for the purpose of rotting, should be thinly and 

 evenly spread out in a sunny spot until thoroughly dry. 

 They may then be deposited in a cool, airy place, and in 

 thin layers, until wanted for sowing. An occasional turning 

 is all-important and should never be neglected. The smaller 

 and less common seeds may, for convenience sake, be hung 

 up in calico bags, but they, too, should be occasionally ex- 

 amined to prevent dampness and heating. 



The number of plants of various kinds that may be 

 expected from a bushel of seed of average quality varies very 

 much, and may be approximately given as follows : Horse 

 chestnut, 2,500 ; oak, 6,000 to 8,000 ; Spanish chestnut, 

 about 3,500 ; walnuts, 5,000 ; Norway maple, 12,000 ; syca- 

 more, about 12,000; ash, 14,000; beech, 10,000; elm, 

 1,000; birch, fully, 16,000 ; holly, 17,000 ; Scotch fir, 9,000 

 to 1 Ib, of seed ; spruce fir, about 9.000 ; larch, 3,000, and 

 the cluster pine, silver fir, and some others about from 500 

 upwards. 



For convenience in regulating orders for nursery purposes 

 the following table will show at a glance the approximate 



