38 Forestry Quarterly. 



days. The temperature of the room is kept at 77° F. (25° C.) 

 in order to keep out moisture. 



On convenient days, but at least once a week, the contents of 

 each sack separately is cleaned in one of the best, well-known 

 grain cleaning machines. In this way particles of wings and dust 

 are blown out ; needles and cone scales are sifted out, sterile seeds 

 are separated out by the machine. 



The separation of large and small seed is also accomplished, 

 but not in a useful manner. Ordinary grain cleaning machines 

 work by means of an air-blast and manipulation of sieves. But 

 by the air-blast larger seeds with bits of wing attached are 

 blown together with wingless smaller seeds. Numerous germi- 

 nation tests have shown only unessential differences in germi- 

 native power between the two sizes. But since it has been shown 

 that larger and smaller seeds have different "use-value" it is 

 recommended that the seed be sorted according to size in a suit- 

 able sorting-machine. 



The proper label is put back in each sack after it has been filled 

 out with the weight of the winged seed and the wingless seed. 



The cleaned seed is still kept in this moderately warm room. 

 Once a week a small number of seeds are taken from the product 

 of each day or of each assortment in order to carry on germi- 

 nation tests with them. 



VIII. Germination Chamber. 



A compartment about three feet square (i m) is sufficient for 

 this ; fitted up as a miniature green-house, continuously heated 

 by hot-air to about 86° F. (30° C.) ; under its glass panes stand 

 the little "cellars," tin boxes, (Improved and described by Over- 

 forester Haack) and upon the bridges of these are laid about 100 

 seeds on a strip of flannel or blotting paper, the edges of which 

 hang down into water. The practical application of this at the 

 Eberswalde seed-house has resulted in the use of blotting-paper 

 only, the seed being allowed to lie free upon it, and the individual 

 tin boxes, which can comfortably hold 10 tests of 100 seeds each, 

 being covered with very large plates of glass, lying loose upon 

 them. The seed are then always visible, germinate quickly, and 

 after 170 germination hours give a result which is accomplished in 

 the quickest and most useful way to be of practical value. We 



