NOTES ON THE IMPORTANCE OF TREE SEED-TESTING. 281 



that the seed would show a Real Value of at least 70 to 75 per 

 cent. When the seed, after arrival here, was tested, it showed 

 a Real Value of only about 40 per cent., and a second test 

 carried out at Zurich confirmed this. Fortunately there was still 

 time to get a new and better supply from Thuringia, which was 

 distributed gratis to the nurseries that had unfortunately been 

 supplied with the Silesian seed before the result of the test was 

 known. 



But the good Silesian gentleman is still of the opinion that he 

 did his duty by supplying the seed exactly " to sample," while 

 my opinion is that the sample ought only to serve as an index 

 of the genuineness and cleanness of the seed, but that this, in the 

 interests of honest dealing, must also be able to germinate, and if 

 time is not allowed for a test to be carried out before the sale, 

 compensation must be given afterwards. 



The seed of Larix leptolepis of last season furnishes an example 

 of the need for caution. I received in the spring 1900 a quantity 

 of Japanese larch seed from a noted firm in Japan, and paid for 

 it on receipt ("against bill of lading "), as the custom is in dealing 

 with Japan. By transhipping at some Chinese port the seed had 

 got delayed from four to five weeks, and I did not receive it till the 

 end of April, when it was high time to have it distributed to the 

 nurseries. But when, at the end of May, the result of the test 

 came to hand, it appeared to germinate only 18 "50 per cent., and 

 to have a Real Value of 14 80 per cent., and even then it has 

 hardly produced any plants in the nursery. 



Of course I at once made complaint in Japan, and was by 

 return of post promised compensation for the seed next season, 

 or as soon as a new and good crop of seed was available. 



This is all very well, but it would ha\ e been very much better if 

 the Japanese had tested the germination before shipping the seed 

 from Japan. It is always better to have no seed at all than to 

 have worthless stuff; and especially is this the case when the 

 European seedsman dare not venture to give any warranty for 

 the Real Value of tree seeds sent from abroad, unless he has his 

 remedy against his suppliers. 



But what is good seed and what is not ? That is not always 

 easy to decide. Looking at several other of the Japanese species, 

 they appear to have a strikingly low germination, but I dare not 

 say whether this is less than normal or not. The figures for 

 Chamcecyparis obtitsa, 19*35 per cent. ; C. pisifera, 10*67 per 



