If you are between Mattawa and Pembroke, and you have hemlock trees: I'm looking for 500 to 1000 Canadian Hemlock seeds.

Reason for a request to this area: You are at the northern edge of the hemlock range, and so trees in your area are more likely to do well on the prairies. (The boundary in the Silvics manual would be somewhere in Algonquin park.)

Hemlock cones are small -- about 3/4 inch. Seeds are tiny, about 1/16 inch long, with about that much wing too. There are only a dozen or so per cone.

According the US Forestry Silvics manual, the cones are ripe when they turn a purple-brown colour. They dry some, and turn darker brown, then open and disperse seed for the next few weeks. Typically there are only a few viable seeds per cone. The mention times of early to mid September for ripening. That may be earlier on the north edge of their range.

So I think I'm looking for about a shoebox full of cones.

So if you want a project let me know.

Email sgbotsford@gmail.com

Sherwood of Sherwood's Forests.