110 THE CANADIAN FORESTERS 



will find any difficulty in providing himself witla plants 

 of several sorts of trees in the course of one or two 

 seasons. The proposed methods are those practised in 

 the United States, but modified to suit our climate. The 

 nursery will be of no great cost, and it will furnish 

 young trees enough to plant one or two acres of land. 



The system usually practised is to sow the seed in a seed- 

 bed, and, subsequently, to set out the young plants in a 

 nursery. But we must not forget that, as I have stated 

 already, walnuts and acorns should, if possible, be sown 

 in the place of their permanent abode. 



The seed-bed.— Choose for the seed-bed a piece of rich 

 land, well dug and raked fine, and as free as j)ossible 

 from .weeds. Over this construct a lattice-work high 

 enough to permit of a man working underneath it. This 

 is to serve for the protection of the young plants, during 

 the first summer, against the rays of the sun. It may be 

 covered in with laths, matting, etc. The young conifers 

 are especially in need of this shade, and nature herself 

 affords it them in the forest, where the seedlings are in- 

 variably protected by trees of larger growth. 



How to sow. — Sow in drills six inches apart, and sow 

 without regard to economy : in other words, sow thickly. 

 To get through the work quickly as well as accurately, 

 make a rake with teeth rather long and thick and six 

 inches apart ; you will find this implement an excellent 

 marker. As a rule, the seeds should be covered very slight- 

 ly ; in fact, they should be not nearly so deeply buried as 

 garden-seeds. It is recommended to sow very late in 

 autumn or early in spring ; but, as most seeds ripen very 

 late, it is almost always necessary, in Quebec and the 

 other provinces of the same latitude, to wait till spring. 

 In these cases sow as early as possible, and take care 

 that the seed is of the best quality. I have already given 



