PROPAGATION BY MEANS OF SEEDS AND SPORES 51 



care must be exercised in handling them. To gather them, 

 the fronds may be cut as soon as the sori or fruit-dots turn 

 brown, and stored in close boxes or paper bags. When the 

 spores begin to discharge freely, the frond may be shaken over 

 the pot, or it may be broken up and pieces of it laid on the soil. 

 While still very small, the sporelings should be pricked out, 

 and for some time thereafter they should be subjected to the 

 same conditions as before. 



Forestry practice 



The propagation of forest trees is conducted on a great 

 scale in many parts of the country, largely as governmental 

 enterprises. This constitutes a special department of nursery 

 practice, and it cannot be discussed in this book ; but some of 

 the seed-bed methods may be indicated as a supplement to 

 the discussion. Those who desire to inform themselves on 

 forest-tree nursery work should consult the state and federal 

 publications, chapters in books on forestry, and Tourney's 

 "Seeding and Planting in the Practice of Forestry" (Wiley, 

 1916). The following descriptions are adapted from "Nursery 

 Practice on the National Forests," Bull. 479, Contr. For. Serv., 

 by C. R. Tillotson (1917), the pictures (except one) being taken 

 from the same publication but mostly re-drawn from the 

 half-tones. 



"The seeds are sown in beds, with the exception of certain special cases 

 in which flats or even pots may be used. The beds are staked off uni- 

 formly and with mathematical precision, to render calculations easy and 

 to make possible the employment of uniform methods in subsequent work. 

 A 4-foot width facilitates sowing, covering and weeding operations. 

 Forty inches has been found to be a desirable width where burlap is used 

 as a cover. Where damage from rodents or birds is possible small beds 

 4 by 12 feet are desirable, because they are easily protected by the use of 

 screened frames. 



"The seed may be sown in drills or broadcast. For drill sowing across 



