162 SEVENTEENTH REPORT. 



weijilit. Thev were then placed in closed, but not sealed, fruit jars 

 and kep( in llio laboratory where the temperature averaged about 

 22° C. and the relative humidity about 47.5%. On the 1st of April, 

 1914, the moisture content, in ])er cent of the weight, varied, with 

 species, between 7 and 26. 



The fourth part was stored in closed glass fruit jars in the 

 laboratory where the above stated laborator\' conditions prevailed. 

 On April 1, 1914, the moisture content, in per cent of the weight, 

 varied with species, between 7 and 13. 



Ten seeds of each species from each condition were planted each 

 month from October to April inclusive. The seeds were planted 

 in loam in the greenhouse and were kept moist and under good 

 conditions for germination. The ungerminated seeds were ex- 

 iimined each week for signs of germination and when a seed had 

 germinated it was not further disturbed. 



The detailed tables of germination show that the results may be 

 expressed fairly accurately by making three groups, i. e. hickories, 

 white oaks and black oaks. A table of the results for each group 

 under each condition follows. The figures give the average per cent 

 of germination of the species in the group from the given condition. 



As seen by the above table the seeds of all the species tested kept 

 better in the ice box than in any of the other conditions. The 

 germination per cent of the seeds from this condition was fairly 

 constant throughout the series of tests. With the liickories and the 

 black oaks the length of time it took them to germinate, or period 

 of germination, decreased steadily as the tests proceeded. 



The seeds from the pit showed the next highest germination per 

 cent. Here, too, the! germin.ation remained fairly constant throughout 

 the tests and the period of geraiination decreased in the case of 

 the hickories and black oaks as the season progressed. In the case 

 of the white oaks this decrease was preceded by an increase. 



The seeds that had been artificially dried showed uj) rather 

 poorly. The germination per cent was very low in all species and 

 in all except the Quercus bicolor, Carya cordiformis and Carya 

 ovata the gennination dr()]ii)pd to after the first few i)lantings. 

 The j)eriod of germinati<iii was more erratic than in the two preced- 

 ing cases but was normally longer than in either. 



