SOWING SEEDS. 89 



This should be removed in the spring after all danger from 

 drying cold winds has passed. 



SOWING SEEDS AND CULTIVATING SEEDLINGS. 



Most of our tree seeds should in good soil be covered 

 from one-half to three-quarters of an inch, but this is rather 

 too much for such small seeds as the Birch, Alder and Cotton- 

 wood, while the Black Walnut. Native Plum, Acorns and 

 other large seeds and seeds of Box Elder, Ash, Soft Maple 

 and Basswood may often be covered two inches to advantage 

 if the soil is somewhat dry. It is a good rule not to cover 

 any tree seeds deeper than is necessary to secure permanent 

 moisture and on wet or heavy land only a very thin covering 

 is desirable. If the land is very heavy it is a good plan not 

 only to cover lightly but to sow more thickly then usual as a 

 large number of seeds may be able to push up through the 

 surface soil when a few would fail to do this. 



The Amount of Seeds of Deciduous Trees to Sow on a given 

 area depends very much on the kind and quality of the seeds 

 and the soil in which they are to be sown. As a rule thick is 

 better than thin sowing. The seeds of Box Elder, Ash and 

 Maple should be sown at the rate of about one good seed to 

 the square inch; Elm and Birch should be sown twice as thick. 

 Plums and cherries sown in drills should be allowed about one 

 inch of row for each good seed. Black Walnut, Butternut, 

 Hickory and similar seeds should preferably be planted three 

 or four in a place, and all but one seedling cut out when 

 nicely started. If sown in drills they should be placed from 

 three to six inches apart. Rather thick seeding does not 

 seem to be any hindrance to the making of a good growth by 

 seedlings of most of our broad-leaved trees the first year, but 

 if left thick in the seed bed the second year they are often 

 seriously stunted. On this account such seedlings should be 

 transplanted or thinned out before the beginning of the second 

 year. In nursery planting it is a good plan to sow in freshly 

 stirred land as the seeds are far more likely to get a good 

 start in it than in soil that has remained untilled long enough 

 to become crusty and lumpy. Then if the seeds are planted 

 immediately after cultivation has been eriven, and while the 

 soil is still moist, they have at least as good a chance as the 



