EVERGREENS OF COLORADO 



51 



seeds are usually gathered by the Indians in the southern parts of our 

 state, in New Mexico and northern Arizona, where the pinyon pine is 

 abundant. 



REARING EVERGREENS FROM 

 SEED. 



In most cases this is work 

 which is successfully undertaken 

 only by nurserymen or other per- 

 sons of experience. However, for 

 those who have time and the 

 necessary patience to wait for sev- 

 eral years while the seedlings are 

 growing, this is a cheap way to 

 secure a large amount of stock 

 and is also very interesting work. 

 Seeds of most evergreens can be 

 purchased from the larger seeds- 

 men, but 'where possible it is desir- 

 able to secure them from local 

 growing, native trees which show 

 the best color, form and hardiness. 

 The proper time to collect the 

 seeds is a little while before the 

 cones open. If this is done too 

 early the seeds may be immature 

 and will not germinate, while if 

 left until the cone scales have 

 spread open, a large part of the 

 seeds will have escaped, while 

 those which remain will be some- 

 what difficult to secure without 

 further loss. The time at which 

 the cones of our native evergreens 

 mature varies somewhat with the 

 altitude and the locality. At lower 

 elevations, seed collecting can be- 

 gin often as early as the first week 

 in September, while at higher ele- 

 vations the middle of September 

 is not too late. 



In order to test the condition of 

 the seeds, some of the cones should 

 be cut open in such a way as to 

 pass through the seeds. If they 

 appear milky and soft, they are too 



immature, but if the kernel of the seed appears firm, they are ready 

 for harvesting. In harvesting large quantities of seeds, the practice is 



Fig. 34. Alpine Fir, 12-inch trunk. 



