TREATMENT OF BONY SEEDS. 17 



they must be examined occasionally to see that they do not 

 become too dry. Precaution must also be taken to keep 

 away mice, squirrels, blue-jays, and other intruders. 



Large, nut-like seeds or fruits, like peach-pits, walnuts 

 and hickory-nuts, are usually buried in sand or light loam 

 where they may freeze. Or sometimes the large nuts are 

 thrown into a pile with earth and allowed to remain on the 

 surface. Freezing serves a useful purpose in aiding to crack 

 the shells, but it is not essential to subsequent germination, 

 as is commonly supposed. All seeds, so far as known, can 

 be grown without the agency of frost, if properly handled. 



Fall sowing amounts to stratification, but unless the soil 

 is mellow and very thoroughly drained the practice is not 

 advisable. The seeds are liable to be heaved or washed out, 

 or eaten by vermin, and the soil is apt to bake over them. 

 Under proper conditions, however, the seeds of fruits and 

 many forest trees thrive well under fall sowing. The seeds 

 should be sown as soon as they are ripe, even if in mid- 

 summer ; or if the ground is not ready for them at that time, 

 they may be temporarily stratified to prevent too great hard- 

 ening of the parts. It is best, however, to allow all green 

 or moist seeds to dry off a few days before they are strati- 

 fied. Fall-sown seeds should always be mulched. 



Some seeds rarely germinate until the second year after 

 maturity, even with the best of treatment. The thorns, 

 mountain ash, hollies, viburnums, some roses, and many 

 others belong to this category. Some growers sow them 

 regularly as soon as they are ripe, and allow the beds to 

 remain until the seeds appear. This is a waste of land and 

 of labor in weeding, and the best way is to stratify ti;em and 

 allow them to remain until the first or second spring before 

 sowing. 



Partial substitutes for stratification are soaking and scald- 

 ing the seeds. Soaking may be advantageously practiced 

 m the case of slow and hard seeds which are not enclosed 

 in bony shells, and which have been allowed to become dry. 

 Seeds of apple, locust, and others of similar character, are 



