374 BULLETIN OF THE BUSSEY INSTITUTION. 
more than one large one; but if the seeds leave the cones when 
the wind is high they will be carried great distances and spread 
over a wide territory. When man, without too much labor, can 
assist nature in the more even distribution of the seed it is desir- 
able he should do so, but when he cannot, he may be able to pre- 
vent crowding by removing some of the small trees where they 
cover the ground too thickly, and setting them out in another. 
place where they cannot interfere with each other. 
When the seed is to be planted by man, the cones should be 
gathered just before the first frost in the autumn and placed small 
end up in the grass away from all enemies. After the first heavy 
frost, gather up the cones and shell out the seed by turning them 
small end downward over a vessel and giving them a rap witha 
stick when the seeds will drop out. As soon as the seed is shelled 
it should be planted; it is a mistake to dry pine seed several 
months before planting. 
The method of planting must depend on the condition of the 
soil; if it is a barren plain shallow furrows may be ploughed from 
east to west five feet apart, turning the furrows to the south to 
afford a partial shade to the young plants. The seed should be 
planted on the south side of the open furrow, dropping two seeds 
near each other, then leaving a space of four or five feet, and cov- 
ering the seeds with earth enough to keep them moist, say not far 
from one half an inch in depth. On rocky land, or where the soil 
is hard, dig out with a sharp spade a small sod where the seeds 
are to be planted, leaving the sod near the hole on the south side 
for shade, and planting the seed the same as in furrows. In a 
favorable season enough seed will germinate to cover the land, but 
if the season be unfavorable, a portion of the land will have to be 
reseeded the following year. Where the land is shaded by trees, 
germination will be more certain; but in such places when the 
seedling pines are two years old they should be let out into the 
sunshine by removing the trees that shade them. 
In localities where seedling pines that grow naturally are numer- 
ous, it is not expensive to cover land with pines by transplanting 
the young trees; to do this to the best advantage trees should be 
selected that are not over six inches in height, and in removing 
them, a small ball of earth should be removed with each tree, care 
being taken not to expose the roots to the light or the air, and it is 
always best to do the work on cloudy days, during the month of 
May. ‘The trees should be set five or six feet apart and as they 
