Charcoal in Nurseries 27 



seed alone to the weight of the seed and dirt as taken from the 

 bag. This gave a vakiable figure for determining the number 

 of ounces which ought to be sown per unit of area. In the 

 White pine seed used in these experiments the germinative force 

 was 51 per cent. (37 days) ; purity, 83 per cent.; real value, 42.3 

 per cent.; germinative capacity, 51.7 per cent. (50 days) ; actual 

 germination on nursery check plot, 40.7 per cent in 70 days ; 

 establishment August 1 of 1 ounce seed, 27.7 per cent. 



There were 28,000 grains of this seed in a cleaned pound and 

 24 ounces of the seed were sown on each of the beds used in 

 these experiments. These beds contained either 96 or 100 square 

 feet each, depending on the location. The real value of this 

 amount of seed was 17,766 seeds. It was estimated that the loss 

 during the season would be from 30 to 50 per cent., and that a 

 permanent stand of about 10,000 seedlings to the bed would be 

 left. That this estimate was not far wrong is shown both by the 

 data given below and by the nursery check plot in which the seed 

 showed a germination of 40.7 per cent., and an establishment of 

 27.7 per cent., or a loss of a little over 30 per cent. 



In addition to the beds sown in the spring, on December 13, 

 1913, nine beds were made up and sown with 2 pounds each of 

 the same seed. As far as known, this is the first fall sowing 

 of White pine ever made in this nursery. The germination in 

 these beds was considerably above the figures given for the tests. 

 Counts of six strips on different beds, each strip 4 inches wide 

 the full width of the bed, showed an establishment of 696 per run- 

 ning foot, 17,000 seedlings to the bed, or 30.3 per cent. Since 

 these beds suffered very severely from birds during the migrat- 

 ing season, the germination must have been, comparatively, very 

 high. This is especially shown in the manner in which they 

 started germination. Instead of the slow, irregular germination 

 of the beds sown in the spring, these beds were characterized 

 by a complete, even germination very early in the season. The 

 sun screens were placed on these beds on May 1. This experi- 

 ment was so successful that thirty beds have been made up this 

 fall for 1915. If these are equally successful, fall sowing will be 

 adopted for this nursery as far as possible. So far it has been 

 tried only with White pine. 



The other beds of the experiment were made up during the 



