SEEDING FOREST TREES. 89 



pounds of Birch seed are used and sown over the ground, 

 after the acorns have been properly planted. 



The arboreous vegetation in American forests contains 

 many varieties which cannot be considered as forest trees 

 proper, and yet are of great value either to serve as soil 

 cover, nurses, or to fill in between the main crops, or to 

 promote the growth of the principal forest trees in any 

 other wise. To these belong the Poplars, Willows, Bass- 

 wood, Locust, Catalpa, Tulip tree (variety of the Mag- 

 nolias) and Hornbeam. The propagation of these trees 

 offers no difficulties ; catalogues of our seed dealers give 

 satisfactory information in regard to that point. But 

 the great value the Hornbeam has, both as copse-wood 

 and as an intermixture with other forest trees, may 

 justify a few remarks in regard to itsproj^agation. The seed 

 contained in hop-like catkins ripen in the fall. A bushel 

 of winged seed contains from 6 to 7 pounds of clean seed. 

 The catkins should, after being gathered^ be spread out 

 and dried in the shade until the seed can be thrashed in 

 bags. As the seeds do not keep long, it is advisable 

 to sow them at once, or at latest next spring, after having 

 preserved them during the winter in the same way in 

 which Ash seeds are preserved. Thus preserved the seed 

 may be kept till the second spring. The seed should be 

 covered very slightly, one-quarter of an inch. It is best 

 to use only fully cleaned seed. Of these, for broadcast 

 seeding, are used from 22 to 24 pounds per acre ; for 

 seeding in drills, 12 to IG pounds. 



An essential requirement for every seed-bed of forest 

 trees is tlie selection of good wood-land soil, the best that 

 can be found, but rather mild loamy than heavy 

 clayey soil ; for seedlings grown on good soil are much 

 better than those grown on poor grounds. They have 

 more and better roots, and are in a better condition to 

 endure the shock sustained in transplanting, and to grow 

 in their new locality. But the soil should not be made 



