THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
315 
Woodlawn, Va., Oel. 15, 1924. 
(1.) Please advise us how and when is the best time 
to root boxwood, Hex, Ligistrum, Abelia, Yew and Ma- 
honia. Can these plants be rooted outside in cold ITaines 
or hoi beds? Slioidd the soil be sandy or mixed with 
loam? 
(2.) I have been told there is a si)eeial i)rocess with 
which they treat their Cedrus cleodar/i seed with and that 
this is a secret with them. 
In your opinion is there anyway to treat these and 
other evergreen seed so that they will come up good and 
the ])lants not damj) oil while in the seed beds? 
(5.) How should walnuts and chestnuts be managed 
so as to get good stands in the seed beds? Please give 
instructions for storing Black, English and Butternut 
walnuts; Paragon and American chestnut nuts so as to 
preserve them for spring jdanting and how should the 
seed beds be prepared for the best results? py \y, j_ 
I'l.) If you have a good frame or hot bed from which 
the trost can be excluded it would be alright to put the 
cuttings in now. 
The hot beds should be about two and a half feet deep. 
Put in about two feet of stable manure mixed with 
leaves. Tread it evenly and linn, then cover with a layer 
of live or six inches of good sharp sand, making the 
whole level and firm. 
Cuttings of the above put in this should be rooted by 
May. 
(2.) We know of no special jirocess of treating Cednis 
deodara seed before sowing. 
Many of the evergreen seedlings are subject to damp¬ 
ing off in the seed beds, which is caused by fungus. 
Try spraying w ith bordeaux. 
(3.) All the nuts mentioned should keep well stored 
in a cool dry cellar, but to insure them against mold or 
loo much drying it perhaps would be best to store them 
in boxes in dry sand . 
Prepare the seed beds by digging deeply and leaving 
rough so the frost will thoroughly jiulverize and sweeten 
the soil ready for sowing in the spring. If the soil is ol a 
stiff nature the addition of sand will improve it. 
Kimball, Virginia, Nov. 7, 1924. 
I am planning to grow seedlings of Nor\\ ay and Sugar 
maple also Paidonia imperalis and Arborvilaes. Can I 
grow them successfully in tlie open as I have no i)ro{)a- 
gating house? Please give full directions ol best method 
of planting and caring for them until they are ready to 
line out in Nursery. A. B. 
Norway and Sugar majile and also Arborvitae may be 
successfully grown from seed without the aid of a jnopa- 
gating house. 
If you have not already the seed on hand, jirocure it at 
once so as to have it on hand for sowing as soon as the 
giound is in condition in the spring. 
In the case of the maple seed it would be well to strat¬ 
ify them by placing them in a box in thin layers alternat¬ 
ing with an inch or two of sand and then placing the 
box in a cool dry place where vermin will not gel to them, 
outdoors with a covering to keep the rain off will be 
alright. 
As soon as the ground is dry enough to work in the 
spring, dig and thoroughly imlverize the ground where 
they are to be sown. It is most convenient to have the 
seed beds about three feel wide and as long as needed. 
This permits of easy access for weeding, shading and 
care without tramping on them. 
Sow the seed broadcast, not too thick, and cover maple 
seed with line light soil to the depth of one to two inches. 
The plants should be ready for lining out in the nurs¬ 
ery the third year from the time of sowing. 
Arborvilaes may also be grown from seed treated in 
the same manner but it is very important to keep the seed 
bed shaded for the lirst year and when sow ing only cover 
the seed lightly. 
The seed ol the Paidonia imperalis is very line, kpep 
it in a cool dry place and sow- in spring as above. It is 
perhaps better not to cover the seed at all when sowing, 
merely lirniing the ground w ith the back oi the spade. 
ACID SOIL 
For growing most crops an acid soil is not to be de¬ 
sired, but in the nursery business certain plants re- 
(|uire it. 
It is well known an acid soil is absolutely essential 
for grow ing the group of plants know n as ericaceous, 
namely the rhododendrons, azaleas, huckleberries, etc. 
To what extent an acid soil would be benelicial to other 
tiees, shrubs and evergreens that do not belong to this 
group of jilants, yet are usually found growing with 
them in a natural state it is ditlicult to say. Such plants 
as hemlocks, dogwmod, cercis, pines, spruces are all im- 
jjortant items among nursery slock and usually found 
growing in an acid soil, but no investigation to the writ¬ 
er’s know ledge has been made as to w hether it would he 
worth while to create acidity in the soil artilicially for 
the purpose of growing them in the nursery. Sulphur 
has been used extensively for creating acid conditions 
in the soil. 
Potato grow ers in the eastern stales are familiar wdth 
the fact that potato scab may be controlled by application 
of sulphur. 
Jacob G. Lipman, dean and director of the New Jersey 
Experiment Station, says: “The amount of suliihur to 
use for creating acidity in the soil for nursery stock that 
requires it, could be best determined by an analysis of 
the soil. Possibly as little as 200 pounds to the acre 
w ould be sutlicient, but if the soil was but slightly acid 
or alkaline the amount reipiired may be as high as 500 
to 800 pounds. 
Since the discovery that sulphate of aluminum was 
such a great help in creating the acid conditions reiiuired 
for growing ericaceous plants it suggests turther inves¬ 
tigation along the same lines in connection with other 
plants grow n by nurserymen. 
Perhaps the American Association of Nurserymen 
could get the U. S. D. of A. to experiment along these 
lines. 
