The Beech. 



this state for more than a few days ; for, if they become 

 shrivelled, they perish at once. Wlien the nuts are dry, 

 they should be put into sand that is very fine, and made 

 perfectly dry, putting three bushels of sand to one bushel 

 of Beech Nuts. They must not be in a damp state like 

 the seeds of the Ash ; for dampness would rot them in a 

 very short space of time. The Beech-nuts will not grow 

 if kept over one year, 



146. When the seeds are thus mixed with the sand, they 

 ought to be put into a box or barrel, and kept, if possible, 

 excluded from air. They should be kept thus, until 

 they be sowed ^ for doing which, the proper time is the 

 month of March, or that of April : the first of April is pro- 

 bably as good a time as any. I should, perhaj)?, prefer 

 the fall of the year, as in the case of the Ash ; bu^, in this 

 case, there are those mortal enemies, the mice; and though 

 you may kill these gentlemen, or a part of them, revenge 

 is poor work, in such a case : the best way is not to put the 

 nuts into the ground, until you have short nights for the 

 mice to work in, and until nature begin to present them 

 with other dishes to feed upon. 



147. When Beech-nuts are picked up from under the 

 trees, you should know whether hogs have been at work 

 before you ; for if they have, and have had time to do their 

 work completely, they will not have left you, except by 

 nvere chance, a single nut that will grow, though they may 

 have left many that have a fair outside appearance. The 

 hog's nose is so discriminating, and his scent so fine, that 

 he vAW discover, by merely putting his nose near the 

 outside coat, or husk, vv^hether the kernel be sound, though 

 that kernel has a coat under the outside husk. The safest 

 way is, not to collect the nuts where hogs have been before 



