CHAPTER II 

 GROWING THE SEEDLINGS 



Stratification. There are several methods employed 

 in germinating the seed, depending upon the extent of the 

 business and upon the convenience of the handler. They 

 are sometimes planted directly into the nursery row and some- 

 times put through a sprouting process during the winter 

 months in special seed beds, and then removed to the nur- 

 sery in the spring. In the latter case several methods 

 are employed. The usual one, however, is to bury the seed 

 in a light sandy soil during fall or winter and then remove to 

 the nursery row after sprouting has started. For the larger 

 seeds, such as the peach and plum, a plot of ground is 

 selected in the garden or some convenient place near where 

 they are to be set in the nursery, and after levelling off, 

 the seeds are spread out in a thin layer and then covered 

 with from two to four inches of soil. In the prevailing 

 climatic conditions of the south and west the seeds should 

 be put into the bed during the months of November, De- 

 cember or January. The earlier in the winter they are put 

 in the thicker should be the covering; the later the less the 

 covering, so they will get the heat of the sun at about the 

 same time. Some nurserymen prefer to spread the seed 

 evenly over the top of the bed and then spade them in. 

 This method often makes trouble in separating them 

 when ready to plant. 



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