Periodical Literature 3ZZ 



showed for the green variety a similarly unfavorable per cent, 

 namely, 6 per cent, while for the blue variety the per cent was 37.5. 



Zum A nbau der Douglasie. Forstwissenschaftliches Centralblatt, June, 1915, 

 pp. 284-6. 



A long article by Dr. Schwappach gives a 



Seed detailed account of the arrangements and 



Control work in the seed control station at Ebers- 



walde. He points out that in the method 



of seed testing there are practical requirements, especially on the 



part of seed dealers, that must not be overlooked ; the first is 



that the test should be rapid, and the second that it should bring 



out a possible high germination per cent. 



As regards samples, it is often overlooked that the test gives 

 answer only as to the sample which can be applied to quantity 

 only if the sample properly represents it, and the number of 

 samples must be in proportion to the quantity of seed for which 

 they are to be representative. As an example, three samples of 

 larch seed from top, middle and bottom of bag varied in purity 

 between 19.2 and 26.3, in germination between 67.7 and 75 per 

 cent. A special instrument, Nobbe's sampler, is recommended for 

 taking samples. Proper packing for shipment is also of moment. 



All samples, besides being properly identified, are examined for 

 purity and germination. For purity test, an average sample of 

 varying amount is used, for birch 2 g., for Chamaecyparis and 

 Thuya 10 g., for small spruce seed 15 g., for most other conifers 

 20 g., for White pine. Black pine and similar large seed 25 g., 

 for Abies 30 g. For larger broadleaf species, the entire sent-in 

 sample is used. In segregating the admixtures broken and un- 

 usually small seed, surely not germinative, are included, which 

 may lead to disagreement of results. For many species, which, 

 owing to slow germination or to dormancy, make the germination 

 test impracticable, the knife test is applied. This is done with 

 Abies, Acer, Carya, Fagus, Fraxinus, Juglans, Quercus. 



Two examples of Abies showed 61 and 73 per cent germinative 

 power by the knife test ; while the one in 140 days had germinated 

 only 20 per cent, the other in 120 days, 21 per cent ; similarly, two 

 oak samples giving 67 and 95 per cent by knife test, had in 63 



