SEEDS THAT RIPEN IN AUTUMN. 85 



sown to advantage in the autumn provided, (1 ) the soil is not 

 of such a nature as to become too solidly packed over them 

 before spring; (2) they are not liable to dry up or wash out; 

 or (3) they are not subject to injuries from rodents, insects or 

 other animals. In many locations some or all of these possible 

 injuries may make spring sowing most desirable with most 

 kinds of seeds. Our most successful nurserymen, however, 

 prefer to sow in autumn and try to bring about the conditions 

 that make it successful. 



In the matter of storing these seeds it is difficult to lay 

 down any exact rule to follow and here, as in all other similar 

 matters, considerable must be left to good judgment. As a rule, 

 however, it is perfectly safe to winter over all of the seeds of 

 hardy plants which ripen in autumn, by burying them in sand 

 out of doors. 



Tree seeds that ripen in autumn may be divided into four 

 classes which require different methods of treatment to grow 

 them; viz., dry seeds, seeds with fleshy coverings, nut seeds 

 and leguminous tree seeds. 



Dry Seeds, like those of the Ash, Birch, Hard Maple and Box 

 Elder are very certain to grow when sown in the spring in 

 drills as soon as the soil can be easily worked, in the same 

 way as recommended for Soft Maple and Elm. If not sown 

 until spring they will have to be kept over winter and when 

 only a small quantity is to be kept over this is best done by 

 spreading the seeds on the surface of the hard ground, cover-* 

 ing with an inverted box and digging a ditch around it to 

 carry off the water, or the seeds may be mixed with sand and 

 kept in a dry cool place. Large quantities may be kept on 

 dry ground under a shed. These seeds will stand consider- 

 able drying, but if allowed to become very dry, hot, or moist, 

 their vitality may be injured or destroyed. 



Seeds with Fleshy Coverings as those of the Cherry and Plum 

 should be kept from getting dry before planting. The best 

 way to handle them is to separate them from the pulp, mix 

 with moist sand out of doors and keep them moist until 

 planted. It is generally safe to sow such seeds in the autumn 

 on good land but some growers prefer to sow them in the 

 spring. This class of seeds requires to be frozen before germ- 

 inating. If allowed to get dry before being frozen, they 



