FOEEST SERVICE. 



509 



nurseries the costs were much lower. At the Monument Nursery 

 2-year-old seedlings of yellow pine were raised at a cost of 50 cents per 

 thousand; Douglas fir, at 86 cents; Engelmann spruce, at 50 cents; 

 Austrian pine, at 42 cents ; transplants of yellow pine, at $2 ; Douglas 

 fir, at $1.67, and Engelmann spruce, at $2.73. 



Comparison with avork of previous years. — Last year practically 

 the only commercial species of coniferous trees of which the seed 

 crop was not below the average were western white pine and the 

 Pacific coast Douglas fir. Because of this the amount of coniferous 

 seed collected was about 4,843 pounds less than in 1911, The amount 

 of coniferous seed purchased was 20,465 pounds less than in 1911, the 

 reduction being mainly in exotic species, the use of which has in gen- 

 eral been unsuccessful. Of hardwood seed, 17,979 pounds less than 

 in 1911 were obtained. 



The total area reforested was 4,687 acres less than in 1911. The 

 area seeded was 8,866 acres less, while the area planted was increased 

 from 1,995.47 acres in 1911 to 6,174 acres in 1912. The nursery stock 

 ready for planting was first disposed of, and the balance of the funds 

 available was used in seeding. The decrease in the area seeded is en- 

 tirely within districts 3 and 5, in which, because of adverse conditions, 

 the work has been restricted, and in district 6, where all the funds 

 available were devoted to the collection of seed. 



The total number of seedlings and transplants in all the nurseries 

 is now 45,358,265 plants, an increase of 10,506,320 plants in the amount 

 of nursery stock. This increase was due mainly to the fact that some 

 nurseries were beloAV their full capacity, so that the stock could be 

 increased without increasing the cost of maintenance. 



The coniferous seed collected by the service cost $1.68 p€r pound, as 

 compared with $1.24 per pound in 1911, due to a poor seed year for 

 most species and in spite of better organization and equipment. The 

 hardwood seed collected cost 19 cents per pound, as compared with 

 11.6 cents per pound in 1911. Yet, in general, the cost of seed of the 

 principal species is falling, as shown by the following table for dis- 

 trict 2, which illustrates conditions in all districts: 



Species. 



Yellow pine 



Douglas (ir 



Lodgppole pine 



Engelmann spruce 



1909 



Seed col- 

 lected. 



Pounds. 



157 



194 



42 



3 



Cost per 

 pound. 



$1.93 

 2.53 

 5.27 

 5.27 



1910 



Seed col- 

 lected. 



Pound,i. 



1 5,899 



1,3&1 



1,409 



417 



Cost per 

 pound. 



1.72 

 3.92 

 3.21 



1911 



Seed col- 

 lected. 



Pounds. 



5,147 



2,679 



2,782 



449 



Cost per 

 pound. 



$0.85 

 1.14 

 1.95 

 1.93 



1 Exclusive of 23,709 pounds from the Black Hills, which were purchased. 



When collection was first undertaken the cost of lodgepole pine 

 seed was almost pi-ohibitive on account of the high cost of extraction 

 from the cones, while it can now be produced for less than $2 per 

 pound. Since tlie cost of extraction de(ormines largely the cost of 

 clean .seed, this reduction is especially encouraging. The cost of ex- 

 traction is being decrea.sed not only by reducing operating costs per 

 pound, but also by securing a larger quantity of seed per bushel of 

 cones. From the following table for district 1, which is characteristic 



