176 ENGLISH ESTATE FORESTRY 



Spanish chestnut especially can be raised much more cheaply 

 than they can be purchased as seedlings. 



The collection and storing of the above seeds is not a 

 difficult matter, and, whenever a good seed year occurs, the 

 cost of securing a good supply of one or the other of the 

 seeds of these species is not great. The collection of oak 

 and beech seed is very simple, as it only requires picking up 

 from the ground as soon as it falls in the autumn. As a 

 general rule, acorns are best sown as soon as they are 

 collected, as they germinate at once, and are thus fully 

 established by the following spring. Their greatest enemies, 

 however, are mice and pheasants, and if sown where these 

 animals or birds are numerous, they must be protected in 

 some way or another during the winter. The cheapest and 

 most effective method of doing this is probably that of 

 mixing the acorns with some vile-smelling composition, 

 such as Stockholm tar mixed with cow manure, Benardine, 

 assafoetida, red-lead, or any other material which is dis- 

 tasteful to these creatures. Acorns are best sown in drills, 

 about 12 inches apart, and should be covered to a depth 

 of 2 to 3 inches. When so sown they can be allowed to 

 remain at least two years in the seed-beds, and, if necessary, 

 even longer. If any fear is entertained that the tap roots 

 are developing at the expense of fibre, they can be root- 

 pruned by inserting a spade on either side, and cutting the 

 tap roots about 6 inches below the surface. 



Beech seed should be collected when dry and stored on 

 the floor of a dry cool cellar, being occasionally turned to 

 keep it from heating. In the following April it may be 

 sown in the same way as recommended for acorns, and its 

 subsequent treatment is much the same. 



Spanish chestnut seed must be collected in the same way 

 as the above species, and may either be sown at once, after 

 being dressed as recommended for acorns, or stored in a 

 similar manner to beech. The great point about storing 

 these nuts is the prevention of their becoming too dry, as 

 their vitality is quickly destroyed by over-dryness. 



Ash seed is most easily collected by cutting off the twigs 

 bearing the bunches of keys in autumn, placing them in 

 heaps, and collecting them with a cart for conveyance to the 



