The future will undoubtedly see a more general use made of inferior woods, by impregnating them with antiseptic materials, and it is probable that we shall, in this way, find a much wider use for such wood as that of the common cottonwood and soft maple.
Seeds and seeding.
Source of seeds.—One of the most important fac tors for the grower of tree seedlings to have in mind is that the source of the seeds may sometimes have a very considerable effect on the value of the seedlings. It may be laid down as a safe general rule that those seeds are most desirable which come from trees grown in a climate as severe as that in which they are to be sown. As trees reach the limit of their growth they have a tendency to become dwarfed, and the seedlings from these trees undoubtedly perpetuate (more or less) this dwarfing tendency. Hence, even though an essential point in considering the value of any tree is hardiness, the question of size is also important and should be taken into account. We may conclude, then, that since trees from milder climates generally lack in hardiness, and those from a very severe climate may lack in size, it is best to procure seeds from the best trees grown near by, or from those grown under similar climatic conditions elsewhere. Generally, it is not necessary to limit this range very closely, and a range of one hundred miles north or south of a given point will seldom make much difference in hardiness.
Gathering seeds.—In some cases it is best to pick the seed from the trees even before they are quite ripe, as they will generally ripen if kept dry after being picked. Very unripe seeds do not keep so well as perfectly ripe seeds. Most kinds of tree seeds can be gathered cheaply from the ground after they have fallen. This method of gathering often can be greatly facilitated by clearing the land under the trees, so that it will be smooth and even. The seeds of some species can be swept up at little expense under trees growing along high ways or city streets.
Seeds of coniferous trees, such as pine, spruce, tamarack and arborvitm, are dry and winged, but the red cedar has a fleshy, berry-like covering sur rounding its seed. The seeds that grow in cones are most easily gathered before being shed from the cones. The cones should be gathered before they open, and then dried, after which those of most species will open and the seeds can be threshed out. Cones of a few trees, as those of the
jack pine, will not open without artificial heat. These can be opened by gently heating them over a stove or in an oven to a temperature of 100 to 150° F. Seeds of this class grow readily, but must be very carefully stored or they will lose their vitality. They may be kept like the seed of ash and box-elder, but are more liable to injury than these kinds from too much moisture or heat, and for this reason some careful growers prefer always to keep them mixed with dry sand in a cool shed.
The seeds of the red cedar hang on the tree all winter and must be picked by hand. They should be soaked in strong lye for twenty-four hours, the fleshy covering removed by rub bing them against a fine sieve, and then stratified in sand, where they w ill be frozen during the winter. Even with this treatment t hey will seldom grow until the second year.
is a term used to describe a certain method of storing seeds. It is adapted to almost any of our seeds, but is especially useful with the black walnut, hickory, basswood, plum, cherry, mountain ash and hawthorn. When only small quantities are to be cared for under this method, it is generally best to put them in boxes, mixed with several times their bulk of sand, and bury in the dry ground out-of-doors ; but when large quantities are to be handled they may be mixed with the soil on the surface of the ground, covered with mulch and left until spring.
the matter of storing seeds it is difficult to lay down any exact rule. How ever, it is perfectly safe to winter over all of the seeds of hardy plants which ripen in autumn, by burying them in sand out-of-doors, and yet the seeds of ash, hard maple, box-elder, locust, and other dry seeds may be stored to advantage in any dry, cool room. It is very important to have them thoroughly dry before they are stored in any large bulk. A very good way of wintering seeds of the ash, birch, hard maple and box-elder is to spread the seeds on the surface of the hard ground and cover with an inverted box. It is an advantage to have a small ditch around the box to carry off the water.