144 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
The results were as follows :— 
| | Average Average * 
| Number a = Average Weight 
Height of || Length of = 
of Plants. Sa. | Raat per 100 Plants. 
| A) Bs A. B. A. IBS Mile pas B. 
| Ins. | Ins. | Ins, | Ins. | Ib. oz.| Ib. oz. 
Large chestnuts, . 38 | 38 | 16°6 | 91 | 21°2 | 28°0 
Medium chestnuts, | 34 | 41 | 14°3 | 8:0 | 23°6 | 28:1 | 21 5 11 14 
Small chestnuts, . 28 | 40 | 11°0| 6:4 | 25°6 | 248/17 1)| 8 8 
Although there is not absolute regularity in the results, the 
variations are not more than may be looked for in garden 
experiments. The most important test, namely, the stem-measure- 
ments, gives quite concordant results. It may be mentioned that 
variations between the “A.” and ‘ B.” series of plots, here and 
elsewhere, are accounted for by the fact that the duplicate plots 
were always in a different part of the garden, and were consequently 
subjected to somewhat different conditions of growth. 
May THE FoRMATION OF A Tap-RooT IN YouNG OAKS 
BE PREVENTED 2? 
Foresters and nurserymen are well aware how troublesome in 
many ways is the long bare tap-root that is characteristic of 
seedling oaks, Spanish chestnuts, walnuts, etc. Such a root- 
system makes transplanting difficult and uncertain, and repre- 
sents a form which is the exact opposite to what is wanted, 
namely, a dense fibrous mass of rootlets. By means of frequent 
shifiings and root-prunings in the nursery, the formation of the 
tap-root may be largely suppressed, and the production of lateral 
roots encouraged; but as such operations are costly, and frequently 
attended by a considerable death-rate, any simple form of treat- 
ment that will improve the root-formation must be of considerable 
practical value. 
In the autumn of 1893 a few hundred average-sized acorns 
were spread out on a moist earthen floor, and covered by a damp 
sack, In three weeks a large proportion of the seeds had protruded 
their radicle or young tap-root to the distance of 2 or 3 inches, 
and, when this stage had been reached, 200 of such acorns were 
selected from the heap and divided into two duplicate sets of 
100 each. By means of a knife, or pressure between the finger 
