214 ELEMENTS OF SYLVICULTTJKE. 



poplar, and willow, which ought to be sown as soon 

 as they are gathered, the most favourable season for 

 sowing is spring time. It is even necessary to sow 

 a little late to escape the action of frost ; the end 

 of April or the beginning of May is best snited for 

 the greater portion of France. But in that case 

 there is the danger of drought and the heat which 

 ordinarily follows the equinoctial showers. The 

 seeds, therefore, for want of sufficient moisture, 

 may not germinate. This is remedied by soaking 

 them in water, or still better in. liquid manure. The 

 length of immersion varies with the size of the seeds 

 and the hardness of their pericarp, and ought to 

 last from twelve hours to several days. Larch 

 requires the longest soaking. By this means the 

 seeds absorb the moisture necessary for their 

 germination, and under the influence of the first 

 few warm days they germinate at once. The prin- 

 cipal causes of destruction are thus averted, viz. 

 animals and extremes of the weather. 



It is very difficult to state precisely the quantity 

 of seed to be used in a nursery. It depends above 

 all on their quality and also on the age at which the 

 seedlings are to be put out. If one year old seed- 

 lings are wanted or if the seedlings are transplanted 

 into nursery lines, the seed may be sown pretty 

 thick ; in other words, the young plants may be 

 allowed almost to touch one another. If the plank is 

 used or if the seed is sown in similar narrow trenches, 

 a row of three feet long would contain from one hun- 

 dred to two hundred seedlings. Thus, if the seed is of 

 average quality, i. e. if two-thirds are good, it would 



