THE EQUIPMENT AND OPERATION OF A PRUSSIAN 

 SEED EXTRACTING ESTABLISHMENT. 



By a. B. Recknagel. 



The following additions to the article on page 26, Volume IX, 

 Forestry Quarterly, the original of which appeared in the 

 "Zeitschrift fur Forst und Jagdwesen," June, 1910, and was 

 briefed in "Forestry Quarterly, Volume VIII, page 515, are 

 based on personal inspection. 



The proposition of Wiebecke was conceived after seeing a large 

 brick kiln in operation. In a brick kiln the baking must proceed 

 gradually — t. e. the bricks must not be exposed to the maximum 

 heat immediately, otherwise they are merely case-hardened and 

 not baked through. No such necessity exists in handling seeds. 

 Exhaustive researches* prove that the best results are obtained by 

 subjecting the cones to a uniform temperature. This temperature 

 must be gaged most carefully, for only a few degrees lie between 

 a non-injurious and an injurious temperature. Furthermore, the 

 danger of burning the seed is greatest in the cone, because of the 

 well known fact that organic substances are much more sensitive 

 to moist heat than to dry heat. The permissible limit is therefore 

 50° C. (122° F.) for cones that are still green, and up to 55° C. 

 (131° F.) for cones that are dry. 



Forstmeister Wiebecke's proposed system with its difficult range 

 of temperatures and its requirement of much hand-labor has not 

 met with commendation in Germany. In constructing the huge 

 new Darre (Coning House) in Konitz, West Prussia, it was re- 

 jected by the Prussian government and the system in successful 

 use for nine years in the Darre at Annaburg (Province of 

 Saxony) adopted instead. 



Through the courtesy of Forstmeister Hesse in charge at Anna- 

 burg, it was my good fortune to be able to visit the Darre* there. 



*"Die Beschaffung des Kiefern-und Fichtensamens" by Oberfoster 

 Haack, 1909. 



fThe word "Darre" doubtless i« derived from "durren" meaning "to 

 dry." 



