Thurston,

I'm replying to your rec.gardens posting by email to save some
bandwidth.

Stratification is a period of cold, moist dormancy. You can use
your refrigerator, in fact that is the easiest way.
I'll give some basic stratificatin info. Feel free to email me of you
need more detail

Sow the seed in a pot or flat containing moist, not wet, soiless
potting mix (ProMix, Southland etc). Label with the end date of
stratification, ex 60 days from the date you place the pot in the
fridge. Put the pot in a zip-lock plastic bag and put the whole mess
into the fridge. Keep an eye on the pot and add a little water if the
surface looks dry. Swab the bag with a paper towel if there is a lot of
condensation. You are trying to keep the soil barely moist.

On the appointed day, remove the pot and place in a bright, warm
area. Leave the bag in place until the first seedling emerges.

You can also stratify the seed between sheets of moist paper towels
and then sow when the strat period is over.

Hope this helps. You can search the net for "stratification" and
gets lots more useful info.

--beeky