EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 841 



FORESTRY. 



Influence of the origin of seed upon the character of forest growth, A. 

 Engler {llitt. Schioeiz. Centralanst. Forstl. Versiichsw., 10 {1913), No. 3, pp. 

 191-386, pis. 13, figs. 23; abs. in Quart. Jour. Forestry, 7 {1913), No. 4, pp. 

 335-337). — This is the second detailed report on the author's long-continued 

 studies relative to the influence of environment on tree growth as manifested 

 in the progeny (E. S. R., 17, p. 667). The present report treats at length of 

 the differences shown in the cone and seed formation and in the growth devel- 

 opment of scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) plants raised from seeds collected at 

 difl'ereiit altitudes in various European countries, including Switzerland. A 

 progress report is also given on a second generation study of spruce {Picea 

 excelsa) seedlings. A short review of recent literature on the question of 

 origin of seed is included. 



The author's investigations are being conducted mainly in 4 nurseries located 

 at elevations ranging from 1,400 to 3,80,0 ft. His results are discussed in great 

 detail. The general results with pine seedlings may be summarized as follows: 

 In all of the nurseries 1- and 2-year old seedlings show a height in inverse 

 proportion to the altitude, and also to the latitude in the case of Scandinavian 

 seed, of the place where the mother trees grew. During the first year none of 

 the pine seedlings completed its growth until late sum.mer or autumn, although 

 Scandinavian and East Prussian varieties ceased to grow from 1 to 2 months 

 earlier than the seedlings from the low ground of Switzerland and Germany. 

 In the second year, however, all of the seedlings ceased height growth about 

 the end of jNIay or beginning of June regardless of the origin of the seed. 



In the lowliiuds the pines from all sources begin height growth about the 

 same time, although the leaders of the pines from lowland sources extend 

 considerably more in the presence of high temperature than the leaders of 

 northern and alpine pines, and active growth continues over a longer period. 

 In high situations trees raised from seed procured from northern and alpine 

 sources begin to grow earlier and complete their height growth quicker than 

 trees from lowland sources. Lowland pines grown in high situations show a 

 tendency to become stag-headed owing to their cessation of growth. 



No morphological variations sufficient to warrant the separation of new 

 races from P. sylvestris were observed among seedlings from various sources, 

 but the evidence shows strongly that morphological characters of the mother 

 trees which are due to peculiar soil conditions are transmitted to the offspring. 

 Variations in the mother trees due to weather conditions or to mechanical 

 injuries are not transmitted. Plants raised from Scandinavian and East Prus- 

 sian seeds were least susceptible to the leaf-shedding fungus {Lophodermium 

 pinasiri). Plants raised from alpine seeds were most susceptible to this disease 

 no matter at what altitudes the parent trees had grown. The yellowish or 

 brownish color which the leaves of young pines in Switzerland generally take 

 on in autumn or winter appeared to be intimately associated with cold, dry 

 weather in winter. Such discoloration was most marked in the case of plants 

 raised from East Prussian and Scandinavian seeds and least marked in the 

 case of plants raised from French, Belgian, and Scottish trees. 



In the experiments with second generation spruce seed it was found that 

 lowland spruce trees which had been making inferior gi'owth in high situations 

 for from 30 to 40 years transmitted their characters to the next generation; 

 hence it api)ears that the selection of seed from the proper source is of great 

 importance, especially for planting in high mountain situations. 



