PLANT PROPAGATION 205 



drainage material, as broken crockery, sod or stones. The flats 

 should be filled even full, then trenches should be made, the depth vary- 

 ing according to the sort of seeds that are to be sown. A depth equal to 

 twice the diameter of the seed is all that is necessary iudoors. The 

 reader is referred to the Garden Calendar (page 241) for the proper 

 tirpe to sow each vegetable or flower. The seed may be be sown 

 thinly, so that each seedling wiU have plenty of air and space. When 

 sown the seed should be covered and the soil firmed by the use of a 

 board. After watering carefuUy with a fine spray, the box should be 

 covered with glass and a newspaper, and put in a suitable place for 

 growth. Just as soon as the seeds have germinated the shading of 

 paper should be removed so that the plantlets may get the full light. 



SowTNG Shrub and Thee Seeds. When the fruits of many of 

 the trees and shrubs, as Kegel's Privet, Hawthorns, Rhodotypos, 

 Roses, Bari)erries, Boston Ivy, Euonymus, Viburnums, are 

 thoroughly ripe they should be gathered and so placed that 

 the mass of berries wiU ferment a Uttle. The pulp of the fruit can then 

 be washed from the seeds. Boxes should then be procured in which 

 a layer of sand is placed; the seeds Eire sown broadcast and covered 

 by at least an inch of sand. The flats are watered thoroughly and 

 placed in the basement until February, when they are taken out of 

 doors and allowed to freeze. This is necesseuy to break their heavy 

 coverings. The following shrubs should be so treated: Barberry, 

 Sweet Shrub, New Jersey Tea, Snowdrop Tree, Shadbush, Privet, 

 Honeysuckle, Styretx, Snowberry, Indian Currant, Hawthorn and the 

 Viburnums. When the ground is in condition for planting, sift the 

 seeds from the sand and sow in rows. They should then start rather 

 readily. 



Tree seeds are treated the same as those of shrubs. Seeds which, 

 though hard, wiU not stsmd freezing are often filed or nicked with a knife. 

 The following tree seeds need to be placed in sand Euid frozen: Maples, 

 Ailantus, Birch, Catalpa, Chestnut, Beech, Ash, Hickory, Butternut, 

 Black Walnut, Locust, Basswood. A number of tree and shrub seeds 

 should be sown immediately after ripening. The principal ones are: 

 Trees — ^Birch, Chestnut, Elm, Hackberry, Horse Chestnut, Magnolia, 

 Maple, Oak, Poplar, Ptelia, Sweet Gum. Shrubs — Bayberry, Honey- 

 suckle, Nemopanthes, Rose, Spiraea. 



Seeds differ greatly in their germinating power. The White Oak 

 gemiinates quickly, the Black Oak slowly. The Ash seed is rather 

 oily and benefits by being treated to a weak acid bath. 



There aie a number of reasons why seeds fail to germinate. They 

 may have been unmature when gathered. Pansy seed matures so 

 that some of the seeds eu^e ripe while others are not. "Some seeds. 



