SEEDING HABITS OF SPRUCE 89 



than in the forest. Furthermore, the principal seed distribu- 

 tion of spruce in the open, except in the immediate vicinity of 

 seed trees, doubtless occurs later in the season from seeds subse- 

 quently dislodged from the cones by the winter storms. Thus 

 in the open a relatively larger percentage of spruce seeds would 

 lie over for spring germination than in the forest with a corre- 

 spondingly better chance of becoming permanently established 



As to the less favorable showing of balsam in the open, this 

 was unquestionably due in part to the smaller production of 

 balsam seed, since there were fewer balsam than spruce seed 

 trees in the particular locality where conditions were observed. 

 Then too, balsam seeds are heavier than spruce, so that they 

 would not be carried so far by the wind, and balsam seedlings are 

 also browsed by cattle much more than spruce. 



If this behavior of spruce and of balsam in regard to time of 

 seed disbursal and germination is typical of the two species, it can 

 be readily seen that even with a smaller proportion of fertile seed 

 than spruce, balsam would have a considerable advantage. The 

 fall germination of spruce would subject the very young seed- 

 lings to a material reduction in numbers and vitality during the 

 first winter as a result of winter killing, while the loss to balsam 

 from this cause would be comparatively insignificant. 



Concerning spruce competition with hardwoods, observation 

 made in Waterville, New Hampshire, the following spring (1911), 

 in connection with the five year remeasurements of sample plots 

 of spruce reproduction under hardwoods, showed a considerable 

 number of spruce germinates under the hardwood leaf litter shed 

 the previous fall. Many of these, however, were either wilted 

 or had already succumbed to '^damping-off." Others were 

 bleached almost white, and the stem and leaves were turgid and 

 succulent, but without vigor, doubtless from too humid growing 

 conditions and lack of sufficient light. This was particularly 

 noticeable under moosewood and young hardwood brush with 

 large coarse foliage. The absence of any one-year or two-year 

 spruce on these plots was also noticeable. A marked contrast 

 to this condition was found where any part of these plots hap- 

 pened to be protected from the heavy hardwood leaf fall by a 



