uU TREES IN WINTER 



The seed of a large proportion of the species will germinate 

 within ten to thirty days and the vitality of these may be definitely 

 determined by germination tests. A definite number of seeds of 

 any sample may be covered with sand or moss at a depth equivalent 

 to the diameter of the seed. The box containing the sample un- 

 der test should be kept in a place where the temperature ranges 

 from 60 degrees to 70 degrees F., and the soil or moss kept in a 

 moist condition. For the smaller seeds the use of sand will give 

 the best results and for the larger kinds either moss alone or a mix- 

 ture of moss and sand is recommended. 



Planting Seeds — Seed beds should be located on moder- 

 ately light, well-drained soil. Whenever possible, it is also wxll 

 to locate the bed on the north or east side of a building, forest, or 

 other windbreak. A common and convenient width for seed beds 

 is four feet. The length may be extended according to the 

 amount of seed to be planted. The rows run crosswise of the bed. 

 In very large plantations it is usually advisable to sow the seed 

 in long rows or drills clear across the field, in much the same way 

 that vegetable seed is planted. This arrangement admits of horse 

 cultivation and lessens the hand work. 



The soil should be well prepared by previous cultivation. Its 

 physical and chemical condition may be greatly improved by tne 

 addition of well rotted stable manure. Ground that has been un- 

 der cultivation for at least one year is not so likely to be infested 

 with injurious insects and will give better results than newly broken 

 land. 



The best time for planting most species is early spring. Some 

 species, like Red and Silver Maple, River Birch, Elms, Poplars and 

 Willows, mature their seeds in June and these must be planted 

 immediately, but most species are carried over winter and planted 

 as soon as the soil can be properly worked. If the soil is too wet 

 the seeds are likely to rot, while if it is too dry the seeds will not 

 germinate until late in the season and may possibly remain in the 

 ground until the following season. 



The seed of the species that make a small growth during the 

 first season, like Conifers, Birches, Elms, and Sugar Maple, may 

 be planted in rows about eight or twelve inches apart. It is some- 

 times sown broadcast in well prepared seed-beds and the seedlings 

 transplanted in nursery rows the first or second year following. The 



