Prussian Seed Extracting Establishment. 233 



cleaning screens while the wings, dust, and lighter blind seeds are 

 blown off by means of forced draught. The wings are beginning 

 to find a market as packing for ice houses, etc. 



After the wings are removed, the seed is screened twice and 

 then placed in large glass carboys. No attempt is made to secure 

 every last particle of foreign matter — such as broken cone scales 

 and the like — but the seed is very clean. The glass carboys each 

 containing from 30 to 35 kilograms (66 to yy lbs. avoirdupois), 

 have been adapted as more satisfactory than any metal device. 

 They are packed in willow baskets with straw padding; each 

 basket has two handles. Basket, carboy and all, cost about 50 

 cents apiece. They are preferably made of dark glass — so as to 

 exclude light, that prerequisite of germination. When the carboy 

 is filled it is corked, (with rubber cloth around the cork as a 

 washer) and sealed with pitch. Then the carboys are stored on 

 shelves in a dry dark cellar which (like an ice house) is kept as 

 near 0° C. (32° F.) as possible. In the one at Annaburg the 

 actual temperature was 7° C. (44^° F.) and after several years 

 storage the germination per cent, was practically unchanged. 



Sample from each carboy are germinated and the results, 

 together with data as to source, date, condition, etc., entered on 

 each consignment. The shipment to destination is made in regu- 

 lation sacks and is timed so that the seed reaches its destination 

 just before it is to be used — not sooner. 



The Darre at Annaburg needs 5 men: i Forster (Ranger) as 

 Darren-verwalter (Superintendent), i Machinist, 3 Workmen. 



It was built 9 years ago (1902) by a Berlin firm* at a total cost 

 of $23,300. Only one major repair has been necessary since that 

 time. 



This Darre turns out annually some 22,000 poundsf of pine 

 seed at an average cost of 5^ cents per pound.J This seed has an 

 average germination of 85%, whereas the usual seed from seed 

 dealers has a germination of only ys%- 



The saving in seed which this higher germination per cent. 

 means is well set forth in Oberforster Haack's article referred to 

 above. Haack proves that it is entirely wrong to figure that 70% 



*M6ller und Pfeiffer, Friedrich Wilhelm Strasse 19 Berlin W. 10. 

 fUsually requires 27,500 bushels of cones costing 35 to 70 cents per 

 bushel. 



^Including cost of cones, the average total is 71 cents per lb. 



