226 Journal of Agricultural Research voi.xvn.No.s 



No germination was secured when the seeds were artificially dried at 

 a temperature of approximately 55° C. Seeds that were allowed to air- 

 dry for several weeks in an attic likewise failed to germinate. Soaking 

 in water at a temperature as high as 50° neither hastened nor impaired 

 germination. Pulped seed treated with sulphuric acid of 5 per cent 

 concentration by weight failed to germinate. 



At the commercial planting beds so much seed is received in a ferment- 

 ing condition that it was deemed advisable to ferment one lot of seed 

 during an extended period in order to ascertain the effect on their germi- 

 nating power. One thousand seeds fermented for 35 days in a closed 

 jar failed to show a single case of germination. At the end of this period 

 the pulp surrounding the seeds had almost entirely decomposed and the 

 resulting liquid was sufficient to cover practically all the seeds. Ship- 

 ments of seed for commercial use, however, are seldom enroute longer 

 than from 8 to 10 days and do not reach such an advanced stage of decom- 

 position. No marked ill effects due to fermentation have been noted in 

 the commercial seed beds, which is attributed to the fact that the seed 

 pulp has not entirely decomposed and that the liquid is constantly 

 leaching from the barrels and boxes in which the seed is shipped, thus 

 eliminating any chance for the seed to soak. Moreover, as soon as the 

 seeds reach the camphor plantation they are spread out to cool and dry 

 and fermentation ceases. 



The results obtained from seed picked up from the ground are of special 

 interest, such seed being often used in commercial work. Camphor seeds 

 even when quite ripe do not drop readily from the tree ; and a large per- 

 centage of the seeds which fall early in the season are defective, since the 

 fallen unpulped seed showed a germination of only 5.9 per cent as com- 

 pared with 9.4 per cent germination of seed picked from the tree. How- 

 ever, these defective seeds when pulped showed a germination of 15.6 

 per cent as compared with 60. i per cent of pulped seed picked from the 

 same tree. The seeds picked up from the ground were planted one 

 month later than those picked from the tree, but they had fallen during 

 the interim. 



The idea that frozen camphor seed will not germinate is widely dis- 

 seminated throughout Florida. A special experiment was made with 

 seeds obtained after a relatively hard freeze during which the tempera- 

 ture fell to 26° F. The results obtained prove beyond doubt that 

 camphor seed subjected to a freeze will germinate (fig. i). This fact is of 

 special value since freezing weather is liable to occur at any time during 

 the late fall months in the camphor-seed producing areas, especially in 

 those farthest north. The total gennination, however, is decreased, 

 being approximately 50 per cent of that obtained with unfrosted seeds. 

 A greatly increased gennination of the seed is secured by removing the 

 pulp before planting. This increase was found to amount to 539 per cent. 

 A graphic representation of the increased germination is presented in 



