DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 45 



stirred for half an hour at intervals of about five minutes and then al- 

 lowed to stand from the afternoon of one day to the forenoon of the 

 next when nearly every seed had swollen. Planting was begun and con- 

 tinued until the next day when the radicles began to show on some of 

 the seeds. The ground was dry so the row was wet from the spout of a 

 watering can, the seeds distributed from the hand and covered. Catalpa 

 and white ash seeds were placed in warm water for a short time before 

 planting. The white ash shows poor germination but there will be 

 plants enough to fill the rows. The locust come up unevenly. The 

 catalpas show a high per cent of germination and stand thick in the row 

 60 that a good deal of thinning will be necessary. Some of the other seed 

 planted have not germinated yet. The most of the seed was of those 

 species that w^e know to be of most economic importance. The follow- 

 ing list givies the name and amount of seed in ounces of each species 

 planted: amabilis fir, 1; balsam fir, 1; white fir, 1; lowland fir, 1; red fir, 

 1; Sitka spruce, 1; noble fir, 1 ; black hemlock, 1; sub-alpine fir, 1; Fraser 

 fir, 1; Lawson's cypress, 1; white cedar, 1; western juniper, 1; red cedar, 

 64; incense cedar, 1; white spruce, 1; Engleman's spruce, 1; Colorado 

 blue spruce, 1; foxtail pine, 1; shore pine, 1; Coulter pine, 1; limber pine, 

 1; Jeffr}^ pine, 1; sugar pine, 1; silver pine, 1 ; California swamp pine, 1; 

 lodge-pole pine, 16; bull pine, 16; Norway pine. 64; pitch pine, 1; white 

 pine, 64; Douglas spruce, 16; giant tree of California, ^/o; red wood, i^; 

 bald cypress, 16; hardy western catalpa, 80; white ash, 48; locust, 64; 

 basswood, 64; black cherry, 64. A few seeds of each were preserved as 

 specimens. 



Calculating from the number of seeds per ounce of each species we 

 find that nearly one million seeds have been planted. 



In cooperation with the entomological department of the Experiment 

 Station the woods back of field 7 have been improved by drainage. Sewer 

 pipes have been put in at road crossings where necessary. Drain tile 

 have been laid along the road that runs between the pinetum and the 

 woods so that the places on either side of the road that were originally 

 swampy are now drj'. 



The rail fence on the west end of field 18 was moved 40 paces to the 

 east and about three fourths of an acre of pasture planted to locust 

 and catalpa in alternating rows four feet apart. This is in the way of an 

 experiment to see if trees can be grown without plowing the pasture 

 sod. Some furrows for fire protection will probably be necessary. 



During the fall term a class of six young men was instructed in the 

 elements of forestry and forest botany. The class was made up of three 

 seniors and three juniors. In the winter term five of these continued 

 in the same subjects and a class of 31 juniors in agriculture were in- 

 structed in the elements of forestry. This spring term a class of six, 

 two seniors and three juniors and one special, has been instructed in 

 silviculture and a class of three juniors have received a special course 

 in forest botany making a total enrollment of 37 different students under 

 the instruction of this department. 



A beginning has been made toward the collection of normal and 

 abnormal growths and forest products. The following donations to the 

 department have been made: 



Two bushels of Norway pine cones and a section of hemlock log, Sal- 

 ling-Hanson, Grayling, Mich. 



Four-foot log rule and pickeroon, Botanical Department, M. A. 0. 



