HO W TO PLANT. 101 



served from injury for years, even under ex- 

 posure to the elements. Of these the common 

 black or yellow locust gives an example. The 

 seeds of this tree may be gathered at any time 

 during the first half of winter, and can be kept 

 almost indefinitely, but they require preparation 

 before planting. This is usually done by scald- 

 ing and soaking. The swollen beans are to be 

 separated with a sieve and at once committed 

 to the soil. The scalding process may need to 

 be repeated several times before all the seeds 

 become swollen." 



Class V. Conifers. 



"Pines, spruces, firs, and such trees, ripen 

 their fruits successively, and each must be 

 gathered in its season, from the trees. This 

 must be done before the scales of the cones 

 begin to gape and shed the naked or winged 

 seeds. Many of these species require a con- 

 siderable time to mature, and some need the 

 aid of artificial heat to make them gape and 

 shed their seeds. When separated from their 

 cones, many of these seeds can be safely kept 

 by preserving a regular and moderate tern- 



