154 VITBSERIK. 



the Hindi of the Central Provinces; and pdtard in Telugu It may 

 be adopted with advantage in the case of seeds of species that seed 

 at more or less veide intervals, as, for instance, the various kinds of 

 bamboos, Hardwickia binata, &o. The cold weather is obviously 

 the best time of the year for this method of storing, when the air 

 is cool and dry. 



D. Protection from the Air. 



As has already been said, the greatest danger for seeds is expo- 

 sure to damp and the best protection against it, especially for such 

 s6eds as contain a notable quantity of moisture of their own, is the 

 free play of air round about them. Hence in most cases the ad- 

 mission of air is an indispensable necessity and it is seldom that 

 we are called upon to withdraw seeds from its influence, and then 

 too only when it is a vehicle for moisture. The large pit system 

 described in the preceding paragraph obviously keeps out air most 

 effectually ; and indeed, in a general manner, we may say that 

 whatever method is successful in keeping out heat may also be 

 adopted for keeping out air. 



E. General Remarks. 



It will have been ojjserved that in storing seeds several methods 

 may be adopted to protect them from any single one of the causes 

 of injury or destruction to which they are subject. The final 

 choice between those various methods will depend on the circum- 

 stances of each case, that is to say, on the nature of the seeds, on 

 the number, nature and destruotiveness of the effective causes in 

 question, on the cost and abundance of the seed, and on the time 

 up to which the given lot must be kept before being used. 



SECTION IV. 

 Manures. 



Before we can sow or transplant, we must render the soil, if it 

 is not already so, as siutable as practicable for the purpose. In 

 addition to tilHng it, and thereby loosening it to a sufficient depth 

 and exposing it to fertilising weather influences, we may have to 

 improve still further both its physical properties and its chemical 

 composition. This improvement is effected by the addition of 

 manures. We accordingly describe below, in a brief manner, the 

 manures most commonly used by the forest nurseryman. 



Manuring may be necessary for one or more of three distinct 

 objects : (1) to modify the physical characters of the soil ; (2) to 

 iupply certain elements of plant-food which it originally does not 



