490 



Journal of Agricultural Research 



Vol. XXII. No. 9 



Table I. — Germination percentages of seed stored in different containers and under 

 different temperature conditions — Continued 



Temperature and containers. 



Fluctuating temperature: 



Paper bag 



Paper bag, parafifined 



Cloth bag 



Cloth bag, oiled 



Bottle, air-tight 



Average for all containers 



Indoor temperature: 



Paper bag 



Paper bag, paraffined 



Cloth bag 



Cloth bag, oiled 



Bottle, air-tight 



Average for all containers 



Low temperature: 



Paper bag 



Paper bag, parafifined 



Cloth bag 



Cloth bag, oiled 



Bottle, air-tight 



Average for all containers 



Average for all 3 temperatures: 



Paper bag 



Paper bag, parafifined 



Cloth bag 



Cloth bag, oiled 



Bottle, air-tight 



Average for all species. 



51-3 

 55. 5 

 43- 7 

 31- I 

 60.6 



40.8 

 45.9 



23. 2 

 62. I 



46. 7 



39. 7 

 37-3 



37- 5 

 40. 6 

 3C. o 

 20. o 

 58.5 



37-3 



23- I 

 25. I 

 19.9 

 14.5 

 SI. I 



26. 



56-5 

 28,3 

 21-3 

 16.3 

 49-3 



28.3 



27.6 

 31. I 



18.3 

 13-4 



48. 



12-3 

 14.3 

 II. I 

 9. I 

 50. 6 



16. o 

 18.7 

 13-3 



9.6 



50. 2 



Average 



for all 4 



years 



for all 



species. 



31.6 

 33.9 

 26. 3 

 18.0 



54.6 



32. 9 



34. I 

 36.8 

 '7-9 

 30. I 

 54. 7 



34.7 



27. 6 

 20. 8 



28.4 



Possibly the germination test was not continued long enough to deter- 

 mine the comparative germinative ability of the seed. WTien the test of 

 bottle-stored seed was continued in 191 2 for 270 days, an average germi- 

 nation of 58 per cent for Pinus monticola and 76 per cent for Pinus strobus 

 resulted. This is in contrast to germination percentages of 8.2 and 30.4 

 for the 129-day period shown by Table I. Again, in 1914 when the test 

 was continued for 155 days, the average germination percentages were 

 42 and 58.5, as contrasted with 26.2 and 48.7 for the 126-day period, 

 also shown in Table I. When the germination figures are curved, how- 

 ever, they indicate that had the tests been continued longer during the 

 years 1910 and 191 1, there would have been a considerable increase in 

 the germination percentage shown by the tests of those years. It is 

 believed, accordingly, that the figures in the table are a very fair cri- 

 terion of the comparative value or condition of the seed for the years in 

 question. This does not explain the reason for the sudden jump in ger- 

 mination of bottle-stored seed in 19 14. Frankly, the writer is not able 

 to assign any definite reason. The delayed germination in nurseries of 

 these two seeds, particularly Pinus monticola, always is a source of trouble, 

 and it is not surprising that in these tests they have not followed a 

 course similar to the other seed. There is much to be learned about 

 these two species. 



In addition to pointing out the very evident superiority of air-tight 

 storage. Table I shows that the other containers should in respect to their 

 merit be placed in the following sequence : paper bag paraffined, paper bag, 



