164 THE PINE TREE. 
sloping to the south, in a few days they will open, and the 
seeds may be sifted out. 
When the seeds have been extracted they should be mois- 
tened with water, which will detach them from their chaff or 
wings; and then, by winnowing and sifting, they are readily 
made clean. The influence of our sunshine in April is not 
powerful enough to open the cones of some of the foreign 
species; but the heat stated for extracting the seed is adapted 
to all the species of the pine, with this difference, that some 
sorts require the heat kept up for a longer period than others, 
particularly if the cones have been gathered immediately on 
their becoming ripe. 
The usual time of sowing Scotch pine in South Britain is 
the middle of April; while in North Britain the last week in 
April or first in May is the most approved time. The soil 
best adapted for seedling pines is that which is well pulver- 
ized, and rather dry and sandy than otherwise; such as is 
not apt to get hard by alternate rain and drought; and it is 
not necessary that it be made rich. After being dug and 
smoothly raked, the ground should be marked off into beds, 
four feet broad, with alleys twelve or fifteen inches wide. 
The beds should be opened by removing the surface soil into 
the alleys, by the operation called cuffing, which is performed 
by a wooden-headed rake; this soil forms the cover for the 
seeds; one pound of good seed is sufficient for sowing ten 
or twelve yards in length of a bed; the cover should be 
from one-fourth to one-half of an inch thick; the thinnest 
cover is generally enough in heavy soil; but no exact 
depth can be fixed, as that which is required in extreme 
drought is too deep during a continuation of wet weather. 
The beds require to be carefully protected from the ravages 
of birds until the young plants have been a few weeks above 
ground. The different sorts of linnets are generally the chief 
depredators ; but in some districts the larks are very destruc- 
tive; they not only eat the seeds while germinating, but also 
the cotyledons when above ground; pigeons and partridges 
are still more ruinous, particularly the latter during the night, 
