83 rOEEST PLANTING. 



driven in suitable intervals into the beds, although the 

 cleansing and loosening of tht soil wiU be made tedious 

 by it. 



As it is less difficult to store beech-nuts for the winter 

 than other nuts, seeding in spring gives often good re- 

 sults. But we prefer fall seeding, having thus obtained 

 more vigorous plants. 



Well-managed Beech forests are never permitted to be- 

 come denuded, but are rejuvenated by preserving so 

 many large trees as are required to drop sufficient seed 

 nuts, and to cover the soil, thus furnishing to the self- 

 sown seedlings the much needed protection against sun 

 and air, up to the time when they can get along without 

 further protection. 



Seeding beech nuts successfully on a large scale re- 

 quires not only the proper soil — good loamy soil, some- 

 what calcareous — ^but also a most thorough cultivation of 

 the grounds to the depth of from 10 to 13 inches. The 

 nuts are broadcast seeded over the unharrowed field, 

 using from 3 to 4 bushels per acre, and thereupon har- 

 rowed in about one inch deep on heavy, and from 2 to 3 

 inches deep on lighter soil. Usually, however, seeding is 

 done in drills from 3 to 4 feet apart, using one-half of 

 the quantity of seed employed in broadcast seeding. 

 Sometimes the nuts are planted in holes made at inter- 

 vals of 3 feet. The rows are from 3 to 4 feet apart. For 

 this operation only half a bushel of nuts is required. 



The usual time of seeding is in spring, when cold 

 weather is over, and no late frosts are expected, as the 

 young plants, which will come up in about three weeks, 

 are very tender, and liable to be killed by late frosts, 

 unless well protected. 



{d) Seed-beds for Ashes. 



The seeds of Ashes ripen very late in autumn, and 

 therefore are often left on the trees until the next spring, 



