34 
As soon as germination has taken place, the iron should be removed and the 
box covered with 4 inch-battens, removing first one and then another until the 
seedlings are hardy enough to stand the full light, when the box should be removed 
to a cooler, but not too shady a part of the propagating ground. 
Keeping of seeds. Of course seeds vary in their keeping power ; some may be 
stored without detriment for a number of years (e.g., Wattles), others, e.g., imported 
oaks (Qucrcus) and Black Apple (Sideroxylon amtrale), perish very quickly, and 
should be packed in charcoal or soil for transport immediately they are taken from 
the tree. Sometimes stocks of Wattle and similar seeds are shaken up with a little 
red lead, which helps to destroy insects and to preserve them from others. 
Method of sending seeds long distances through the post, &c. The following are 
useful wrinkles in regard to Palm seeds. 
Palm seeds should be forwarded in little tins, packed with powdered charcoal 
slightly damped a good proportion is three (3) tablespoons full of water to every 
pint of the finly powdered charcoal, and if seed be fresh a good percentage may be 
expected to come through safely, good for forty to fifty days transit. Press down 
the lid of the tin with heaped up charcoal so they do not move about in transit. 
Most palm seeds from any humid zone that have to bear a transit of as much 
as a month or two rarely survive unless packed in damp charcoal a^id placed in 
a hermetically sealed tin, as in paper or cardboard the charcoal soon dries out. 
Method of storing seeds. Seeds should never be put away unless quite dry, and 
care should be taken to see that no insects of any kind have taken them for a host. 
They should be kept air-tight if possible, or at least away from the influence of 
changing atmospheric conditions. 
When seeds have to be kept in large quantities where bins, drawers or tins are 
not available or practicable, then the store should be so ventilated that neither undue 
drying nor sweating shall take place. Wood is preferable to metal for seed-storage, 
as the latter is more liable to changes of temperature, and condensation of moisture. 
On the other hand wood is more likely to harbour pests. 
A seed store should be kept scrupulously clean and in order; no litter of any 
kind should be allowed that will encourage mice or other seed-eating pest to come 
there. Not merely ordinary cleanliness, but scrupulous and finicking cleanliness 
should be the ideal. 
The Bamboo Method of Tree-raising. 
The history of the bamboo Method of tree-raising, largely used in India, and 
successful in every State of the Australian Commonwealth, has been told by the late 
. Ednie Brown in his " Tree Culture," and is interesting, and not generally known. 
In the Forest Department of India, a system of rearing young plants in shoit pieces 
of bamboo cane was introduced a good many years ago by a Captain Beddome, one 
of the Cinseivatois of Forests theie. This was found to be admirably suited for the 
