lighted to
have you here, and that if we can do anything to assist you, or to
perpetuate your success, I hope you will please let us know. As the
Spaniards say, "The house is yours."

I hope that your visit will be so pleasant that you may find it
convenient to come here again.

THE SECRETARY: Mr. Jones will you tell us something about the handling
of seeds for planting?

MR. JONES: I did not give the subject any thought before coming here but
I might say that the nuts should be gathered promptly and dried, placing
them in a shady spot, for they can be injured where the sun is too warm.
We stratify them in sand. Then in the spring you can sift the sand
through a sieve, take out the nuts and plant them.

In stratifying chestnuts we keep them between layers of wire mesh, for
mice are very fond of these nuts. We cover the nuts with sand and
leaves. Chinkapins we usually keep in cold storage.

THE SECRETARY: When you stratify these nuts where do you keep them?

MR. JONES: Right out in the open on top of the ground. A frame may be
made with wire nailed on the bottom. This may be set out anywhere in the
garden, but down a little into the dirt. Put in the nuts between layers
of sand and leaves.

THE SECRETARY: Mr. Kelsey told me that the best way he had found to keep
nuts was to bury them in a deep hole, perhaps two feet deep. Have you
had experience with that way?

MR. JONES: The way I described is the usual way to keep seed and we get
very fine results. We do that in order to keep the seed cool and so that
they will not dry out. But we always have to watch out for mice. It
might be a good idea, in stratifying chestnuts in the box with wire mesh
on the bottom, to place the box at an angle that would drain off at
least part of the water.

THE SECRETARY: Dr. Zimmerman, have you anything to say?

DR. ZIMMERMAN: I discovered by accident that black walnuts and hickories
could be kept very nicely in the dry state until spring; then put water
on them and they will sprout very nicely. But my chestnuts get moldy
that way.

MR. BIXBY: We cover the nuts with at least a sprinkle of earth, may be
four or five inches.

THE SECRETARY: Mr. Jones would keep them with practically no dirt but
with sand and leaves.

MR. JONES: I would use a little sand over them, two parts of sand to one
part of nuts. We put in six inches of nuts and alternating layers of
sand.

DR. BROOKS: I know of a man who puts a layer of chestnuts and one