NOTES OX THE IMPORTANCE OF TREE SEED-TESTING. 



285 



la illustration of this, I shall refer to the tests of these species 

 for the season 1899-1900. 



SPECIES OF SEED. 



Alnus incana, . 



,, rjlutinosa, 

 Bctulai>ai>yrifera, 



,, verrucosa, French seed, . 



,, odorata, Norwegian seed, 



Anyone will at once notice the very high germinating energy 

 in some cases, so high, indeed, that even in five to six days there has 

 been a sufficient result to make sure whether the seed is good or 

 not, and this is evidently a great aid in purchasing these seeds. 



In the autumn of 1899, nearly all the tree-seedsmen of central 

 Europe reported that no new seed of Alnus would come into the 

 market in the coming season, and the first sample I sent for testing 

 germinated only 1 per cent, in six days, and 6 per cent, in thirty 

 days ; wherefore I refused this and several other lots that were 

 offered. This had the effect of bringing out offers of good seed ; but 

 perhaps it had suited better first to get rid of the old stuff to me. 



I have often had inquiries regarding the sowing of willow 

 seed, and so early as 1888 I had some of this seed tested. I had a 

 vague idea that it did not grow at all, or else lost the germinative 

 power very quickly. The result was, as appears from the Tables, 

 that seed of Salix caprea collected on 15th June, and put to the 

 te3t next day, in two days germinated 87 per cent, and in six 

 days 93 per cent., while some of the same seed, put to the test 

 twenty-five days later, in ten days only germinated 7 per cent. 

 Salix purpurea collected on 25th Jane, and put to the test 

 sixteen days later, did not germinate at all. 



I have placed these results before the Royal Scottish Arbori- 

 cultural Society, in the hope that they may be found to be of 

 some interest, and I shall also in future, with pleasure, lay my 

 experiences regarding tree seed-testing before my colleagues. 



