CHE REFERENCE LIBRARY - ZetaTalk

36 THE NURSERY-MANK4Loperators. Some persons prefer to bury them. In this case:t well-drained sandy slope is chosen. The flats are placedin a trench one to two feet, dcq), covered with a single thicknessof boards, and the trench is then filled with earth. Theseeds usually freeze somewhat, although freezing is not considerednecessaqv unless in the case of nut-like seeds. Theobject attained in burying is to keep the seeds+moist and fresh,iutluring the rotting or softening of the coverings, while theyare b\1riccl so dctq) that they will not sprout. Seeds of mostforest trees should be treated in this way. They are comxuonlyleft in the ground until the following spring, when they;II’C t&t9 up ant! sc)wn in drills iri mellow soil. If good loam,to which has been ad&d a little well-rotted manure, is used,the s&s or t1ut.s of hard>, trees and shrubs may be allowedto gcrniinate and grow for oiie season in the flats. ,4t thetb~ltl of tht~ scasou or the ~wxt spring, t.he plants can be transpl;mttldwithollt lositkg one of them. This perhaps is thebvst way to hancll~ rare and difficult subjrcts.R1a1q~ growers place the boxes on the surface in a protectedplacid, as unclc’r trcbcs or in a shed, and cover them for wintera foot cleep with r*leall straw or leaves. If boxes are piled ontop of tA1 ~~t.ht~t~ they shoultl be mulcht~cl withrmoss, else theutitler ones rtl;iJ~ bt~t~ome too tlr!*. Or the boxes may be placed,without co;ering, in a shed, but the), must be examined nowant1 then to set’ that the>- do not become too dry. Precautionmust also lw t&n to keep away mice, squirrels, blue-jays,ant1 other intruclers.Large nut-like seeds or fruits, as peach-pits, walnuts andhicl-or>--nuts, art’ usuall)T buried in sand or light 1oa.m wheretlle)~ tnq- flww. Or sometimes the large nuts nre thrown intoa pile with earth and allowed to remain on the surface. Freezingservt’s a useful purpose in aiding to crack the shells, but itis not essential to subsequent germination, as is commonlysupposed. All seeds, so far as known, can be grown without