136 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Six hundred average-sized acorns were selected, and divided 
into 6 lots of 100 each, the average weight per 100 being 11 oz. 
Three duplicate rows were sowed with 100 acorns each, which, in 
one case, were placed with the thin end lowest, in another case 
the thin end was highest, while in the third case the acorns were 
laid flat. As the stem and root both come from the thin end of 
Fic. 1,—Plants produced by Acorns that had been placed with their 
thin end lowest. 
the acorn, it follows that where this end is lowest the root will at 
once get freely down into the soil, but the stem will have to curve 
round and get past the fruit; where the thin end is highest the 
stem will get freely up, but the root will have some difficulty in 
getting down; and where the acorn is laid flat, both root and stem 
will have equal opportunity of pursuing their natural path. The 
accompanying illustrations show that, even after three years’ 
