The National tribune., 1882-08-26

RAISING FOREST TREES FROM SEEDS
"Lo! on each seed within its slender rind,
LIES golden threads in endless circles wind;
Maze within maze the lucid webs are rolled
And, as they burst the living flame unfold.
The pulpy acorn, ere it swells contains
The Oaks vast branches in its milky veins.
Each rayel'd bud fine film, and fiber line
Traced with nice pencil on the small design.
Grain within grain successive harvests dwell,
And boundess forests slumber in a shen'
1t is good general rule to sow seeds of all
kinds as soon as they are ripe. They will
vegetate sooner if sown Immediately after
being gathered from the plant than they
Will do at any future time Exposure to the
air hardens the outside covering of Seeds
which has tendency to retard termination;
so that whether a seed viii germinate in one
week, one month, one, two, or more years
after it has been put in the ground, will de-
pend very much upon the amount of drying
and exposure to the air that it was subjected
to before it was sown.
But it is not always practicable or conve-
nient to SOW seeds Immediately after they
are ripe and have been gathered; therefore,
the alternative is to try to preserve them in
the best manner so as to retain their vitality
unimpaired, so that they will germinate as
speedily as possible when sown.
There are many seeds which ripen during
late summer and in the fall, which cannot
very well be kept during winter without
more or less deterioration. Some, such as
the silver maple red maple, elm, and poplar,
ripen early and will not keep we'll; these
should be sown as soon as ripe, and they will
probably grow to good sized plants before the
growing season ends. Silver naples may be
had from three to four feet high by Decem-
ber from seeds sown the preceding June
Among those which do best when sown in
the fall, or Immediately after they are ripe
are the seeds of the peach, cherry, sweet
chestnut, hazlenut, walnut, hickory, oak,
horse chestnut, beech, linden, Kentucky
coffee tree, honey locust, persimmon, Judas
tree, blackberry, yellow locust, Usage orange,
and magnolia.
If these cannot be sown in the fall they
may be kept over until spring by mixing
them with sand, or dry earth of any kind.
and kept in a cool place, such as an open
shed or a well-ventilated, cold cellar; if kept
in a warm place they will not be in such
good condition in spring as when kept quite
cold and slightly moist. Sometimes acorns
and the various kinds of nuts will keep in
fine condition by spreading them thickIy on
the surface Of the ground in the open air, and
covering them over with four to six inches 1
of earth or sand.
Small seeds, and those that are light and
chaffy, such as seeds of the alder, birch, syca-
more, catalpa, paulownia, ailanthus, tulip
tree, and mulberry, as also some of the later
ripening winged seeds, as the sugar maple,
negundo, and the various species of ash.
should be gathered when ripe and spread
thinly in an airy situation to partially dry,
after which they can be stored in coarse
bags and kept in cool, airy room until re-
quired for sowing in spring. Larch, pine,
and generally seeds of all coniferous plants,
should be kept in a similar manner during
winter.
To succeed in raising healthy plants with
good root system, it is essentially necessary
that the seeds should be sown in deeply.
worked, light loamy soils. Clayey soils are
not to be selected, as they too readily harden
on the surface and form an imperviOus crust.
so far as relates 10 the pushing powers OF the
young germs. Where no other soil is avail |
able except clay we have seen good results |
attained by covering the seeds with sand;
there IS nothing in clay soil to prevent |
growth when once the young plants show
themselves above the surface. The soil /
should not only be deeply worked, but it |
should also be made as rich and fertile as |
possible. In general there is altogether too |
little account made of this primary require
ment, and very many of the failures in first
attempts in the cultivation of speciaIties
such as that of raising trees from seeds NAV
be clearly traced TO carelessness in the seIec-
tion, preparation, and enrichment of the soil
ITO be continued.