90 LOUIS S. MURPHY 



group of suppressed spruce, or small balsams, or a pile of slash. 

 Here there would be a generous number of spruce germinates 

 and one and two-year seedlings as well. In fact, reproduction 

 appeared to be entirely satisfactory. 



Here again the early seed dispersal habit of spruce very proba- 

 bly works to the disadvantage of its reproduction. Whether 

 fall germination takes place in these circumstances or not the 

 seeds, or germinates, will be covered with a thick layer of hard- 

 wood leaves. In the spring the warm rains and sun start fermen- 

 tation of the mulch, and while this at first affords conditions ex- 

 ceedingly favorable to the germination of the spruce seed, the 

 young seedlings are unable to survive the continued heat and 

 humidity and the general smothering effect of the hardwood leaf 

 litter. The trouble thus seems to be not that the seedlings are 

 unable to get their roots into mineral soil or other suitable mate- 

 rial as is usually claimed but that the heavy mulch prevents 

 them from getting their shoots up into the needed light and air. 



