Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-01-30
Agricultural.


GATHERING SEKDs.-Seeds should always be
gathered in dry weather, and those kinds
which are enclosed In an outer covering, like
. butter-nut. should be spread out in an siry
situation until they are quite dry. befers be-
ing packed for transportation. 1t is also ad-
vIsable to dry sll tree seeds Q little, but it
must Be varsd according to the size and nat
ural amount of moisture they contain.
Those that possess q large amount, either in
sheIr covering or in the seed proper, are lis
BILE to heat if packed in close air tight boxes.
Baskets and bags, or boxes with email holes
bored in them should be used for the purpose,
specially if the seeds are to remain in them
for several days. Sheets of paper, or layers
of dry moss, may be placed between the lay
srs Of seeds 70 absorb the moisture, when
necessary to pack the seeds before they are
sufficiently dry. These remarks only apply
to the larger seeds and thOse that naturally
contain considerable noisture 1T the time of
gathering.
The smaller seeds as we'll a. larger ones
that are inclosed in dry covering, such as
the alder, spruce and pine among the smaller,
and beech and hickory among the larger,
may be transported in bags, barrels, or tight
boxes all that is necessary is to keep them
dry while ON transit.
PRKsKav1NG SEHDs.-Seeds that have firm,
horn-like covering. like the locust, virgIlin,
etc, generally retain their vitality the long
est, while the seeds Of the malps, elm, and
similar tres that have . very porous cover
ing, are comparatively short-lived. The size
Of the seed is no INDIGESTION of its vitality
the largest may perish much sooner than the
very smallest.
The black walnut. horse chestnut, and bat
teruut will seldom if ever grow after the
frat season. while the virginia and locust
which are quite email, will Germinate after
having been kept for 4 dozen years. The Vi
tality Of oil seeds may be retained for . much
longer time than was evidently intended by
Nature, if they are placed under the proper
conditions. A cool, dry, and equal tsmpera-
ture appears to be the best adapted for the
preservation of all seeds. The humidity of
the atmosphere has also much to do in en-
aiding them TO retain their vitality, for while
Q warm, moist one il just suited TO growth,
it hestens the death of the seeds. For when
the terminating powers of the seed have
once been excited into growth, it cannot be
checked without injuring, if not wholly des-
troying, its vitality. warm, dry atmosphere
evsporates the moisture, causing them to
shrivel, aud thus destroys them
SJne seeds, as the chestnut, contain such q
large amount of slbumInOus matter that it 10
quite ii ult to keep the temp erature and hu-
midity of the atmosphere Just liz the right
state for their preservation. All such seeds
after they are ripe, and covered with leaves or
some similar material, following Natures
method, - they receive there the proper de-
gree of warmth and moisture requisit to their
preservation, better than in any other situa-
ton.
TINE FOR SowN0 SEEDs.-There can Dc no
specified time given for sowing all kinde of
tree seeds, but for general rule, very soon
after they ripen is the best. 1t is certainly not
always convenient to do %, nor ID it always
necessary, but with some kir de- delay of q
few weeks is almost certain 20 Heeult In fail
ure. Some kinds of seeds retain their vitali-
ty for years. while others for only few
months at most.
The want of specific knowledge upon this
point has been the cause of many failures,
and will probably continue to be SO until
more general information Is disseminated
The red and silver maple ripen their seeds
in epring or early summer, about the first to
the middle Of June in this vicinity, and they
retain their vitality for only = few weeks. If
sovsd ~ soon as ripe, they will come up in a
few days, and make a growth of one to three
feet by the time the sugar and Norway maple
seeds are ripe in autumn. These two varie-
ties of NAPLES are among the few forest tree
seeds that absolutely demand immediate
planting, and then they grow very readily
FxNer's Forest Tree CuLtxrist.