Collecting and Storing Tree Seeds 9 



best seeds, it should be remembered, are those collected 

 from healthy trees in the prime of life, and grown under 

 conditions favourable to their perfect development. An 

 unhealthy tree will often bear a heavy crop of seed, but 

 although the inducements to collect such are great, they 

 should be discarded, those from the most robust specimens 

 in the prime of life being chosen in preference. 



Regarding the best way of collecting tree seeds little 

 need be said, the exigencies of the case determining the 

 best method to be adopted. The seeds of not a few trees 

 may be collected as they fall, and this is especially the case 

 with those of the Oak, Beech, Elm, etc., all of which may 

 be swept into heaps and gathered in quantity from beneath 

 desirable trees. 



In the case of the various Coniferse this method of seed 

 collecting will not answer indeed, in the majority of 

 instances, the seed should be gathered, or rather picked, 

 from the trees just before they became fully ripe, as in fall- 

 ing they get loose from the cone-scales and are lost. When 

 collecting the cones of coniferous trees, a long, light hooked 

 staff with which to draw the branches towards one can 

 conveniently be used to procure an abundant supply. 

 A bag or satchel should also be in possession of the seed 

 collector, into which may be put such kinds of cones as fall 

 readily apart, as the seeds from these are easily lost. Some- 

 times, 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 recourse to climbing ; but, in such cases, in 

 order to avoid injury to the bark, he should be provided 

 with a pair of elastic shoes or slippers. Great care is re- 

 quired in the collection of such seeds as those of Abies 

 nobilis and A. nordmanniana , the cones, when fully ripe, 

 falling to pieces on the slightest touch. This, however, 

 applies equally to almost every species of Abies, whereas, 

 with the Pines and Spruces, the cones remain intact for an 

 almost indefinite period of time, even though 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 atten- 



