124 THE NEW FORESTRY. 



be for the forester to do so in the case of crops that take 

 perhaps a hundred years to come to maturity. 



SECTION IV. — STORAGE. 



Airy lofts and cool dry cellars and sheds are required for 

 this purpose, but the seeds of some species are best kept in 

 pits or in heaps in the open air. The greater part of our forest 

 tree seeds endure severe frost without injury, but there are 

 exceptions, and those are such as retain "much moisture, like 

 the acorn, chestnut, and beech, which are rendered useless by 

 ten or twelve degrees of frost, hence require protection, but 

 should be kept cool and not too dry. Seeds of species that 

 have sometimes to be kept for several years, like the larch and 

 Scotch fir, are best stored in their cones when those have been 

 dried. In this way the seeds retain their vitality unimpaired 

 for years, which enables seedsmen to take advantage of a fine 

 season and fine crop of sound seed. Cases have been known 

 of Scotch fir cones having been found in a peat moss several 

 feet below the surface, the seed from which produced healthy 

 plants. Fleshy seeds of the nature of the hawtnorn and holly 

 are best kept in pits covered with straw ; after they have been 

 turned several times and fermentation has subsided. 



SECTION V. — GERMINATION. 



Germination depends on the seeds being well-matured and 

 carefully handled and cleaned. Not only the value of the seed 

 but the thickness at which to sow depends on the percentage 

 of good seed in any sample. The usual mode of testing the 

 seed is to grow them, but in many experiments I have made 

 I have come as near the mark by cutting and examining ■ the 

 seeds as by growing, and the latter is by far the most expe- 

 ditious method. Other things being equal, large and fully 

 developed seeds invariably produce the strongest and healthiest 

 plants. 



Mr. Massie makes the following interesting remarks about 

 the larch also: — "Of the common larch there are several 

 varieties, among which we find two well-defined varieties 

 distinguished by the colour of their catkins, which are red in 

 one and white in the other. The red prevails among the older 

 larches in Scotland, and all the finest specimens of the tree 



