FORESTRY. 337 



Bono nioal npplied on the bed in which spruce soedlinss were growing: killed 

 from one-fourth to one-tenth of the plants. As a result of these tests it is 

 recommended that l-year-old pine seedlings be top-dressed with bone meal if 

 they are to remain in the seed bed the second year. This dressing, however, 

 should not be applied to spruce. 



A frost occurring in the late spring of 1908 nearly ruined all the 1-year-old 

 sjiruce seedlings in the nursery. The red spruce grown from seed collected in 

 the .Vdiroudacks was more severely injured than any other spruce, the loss of 

 this species being i)ractically 9.") per cent in one nursery and about 60 per cent 

 in another. A species of Siberian spruce was damaged almost as much. Nor- 

 way spruce suffered al)out 5 i)er cent loss, and white spruce collected in the 

 Champlain A'alley about one-third loss. Engelmann spruce and Colorado spruce 

 suffered very little damage. Japanese larch was all killed, and Siberian larch 

 was uninjured. The planting of Douglas spruce in the Adirondacks is unsuc- 

 cessful because the frost injures the terminal buds. 



A study of the reproductive characteristics of lodgepole pine, G. E. Tower 

 (Pn,c. Soc. Amcr. Foresters, J, {WOO), Ao. 1, pp. 84-106).— A contribution to 

 knowledge relative to the growth and reproduction of lodgepole pine, in which 

 the author endeavors to show, among other things, that aside from the com- 

 monly noted differences in the species due to the factors of locality, there is a 

 definite and Aery distinct variation which is associated with a particular quality 

 in one of the physical factors. 



In studying the two distinct i)hases in the reproductive functioning of the 

 lodgepole pine, one phase being that in which closed cones are produced and 

 remain on the trees for 20 or 30 years, and the other in which cones open at 

 maturity or soon after, the author finds that this difference in the opening of 

 the cones is due solely to a difference in the character of the soil. The 

 closed cones are produced in stands growing on a soil rich in lime, whereas 

 the cones which open at maturity grow on a silica soil or one having a low 

 lime content. The former type has been designated as the lime-form and the 

 latter as the silica-form. The variations in the reproductive functions in these 

 two forms ai*e discussed and suggestions are given relative to securing satis- 

 factory stands of each. 



In the lime-form, whicli was given special study, it was found that the 

 cones were produced yearly with great regularity and investigation was made 

 to determine the relative production of seed in different years. Nine different 

 lots of cones each of different age were taken and the number of seed 

 counted in about 30 cones. From the limited study made it appears that the 

 lime-form produces a fairly uniform amount of seed in periods of 3 successive 

 years, which periods are alternated with a ])artial cessation of the seed pro- 

 duction. The successful reproduction of the lime-form which often follows a 

 tire in the forest is attributed to the fact that heat is an effective means of 

 opening the cones. 



A study was made relative to the degree of heat necessary to open the cones 

 and of the effect of the heating on germination. The cones were tested at 

 temi>eratures differing by 5° and varying from 45° to 100° C. At the end of 

 15 hours cones which were tried at 40° C. showed no signs of opening, at 45° 

 (» hours were required to open the cones, at 65° 40 minutes were required, and 

 at 100° they opened in 10 minutes. The effect of simply placing the cones on 

 the ground was also studie<l. Of 6 cones tested in this way, the first was well 

 oi)ened jn S days. In 17 days 2 were well opened, 1 more fairly well, and 2 

 more showed signs of opening, from which results it api»ears that fire is not 

 absolutely necessary to cause the scale to part. Heating cones at the various 



