482 JOURNAL^)!' I'OKICSTRY 



Douglas fir. The total loss of trees for the four years was forty-four, 

 while there was an increase of sixty in the merchantable class. 



Another plot consisting of young western yellow pine showed a cur- 

 rent annual growth of 745 board feet, and two plots of Douglas fir gave 

 878 and 769 board feet per acre per year. 



Effect of Sui^phuric Acid Treatment on Seed in the Green- 

 house Germination Tests 



Tests were made at Priest River Forest Experiment Station, north- 

 ern Idaho, to determine the effect of sulphuric acid treatment on the 

 seed used in seed testing in the greenhouse. (Many nurseries use this 

 treatment to prevent damping off of coniferous seedlings in the seed- 

 bed.) Seed of nine coniferous species were sown in duplicate series 

 in sand in the wooden trays ; one out of each series was treated by 

 sprinkling a solution of sulphuric acid over the seed and sand after 

 sowing. The acid was applied in a strength of 3/16 ounce to 3/16 

 gallon of water per square foot of surface. Twenty-two hours after 

 this treatment abundant pure water was applied to wash the acid away 

 from the seed. 



It was found that the acid treatment destroyed a great portion of the 

 seed, kept some of the seeds from germinating, killed others soon after 

 germination, and prevented growth and development of those which 

 came up. The smaller seeded and thinner-coated species suffered 

 most. Thus yellow pine germinated 22 per cent less in the treated 

 samples, lodgepole pine 86 per cent less, western larch 76 per cent less, 

 western hemlock 97 per cent less than the treated samples, and the seed 

 of western red cedar was entirely killed by the acid. 



This large percentage of injury would not take place in the seedbed 

 where the acid could be brought to a greater depth by heavy watering, 

 but considerable damage would very likely be done to the lighter-seed- 

 bed species, such as cedar, hemlock, and lodgepole pine, by contact with 

 the solution. 



Very unusual weather conditions prevailed in western Montana and 

 northern Idaho during the early part of January. The weather be- 

 came so w^arm that the snow melted in the hills, and the streams at- 

 tained a height usually reached only in June. Ad^ost of the logs which 

 were banked in the river were driven down to their destination. The 

 weather has, of course, had a very detrimental effect in preventing log- 

 ging operations which were dependent upon sleigh haul. 



