114 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY, 



Although nurserymen made every effort to secure whatever 

 cones could be had, and although their efforts in this direction 

 were seconded by the Board of Agriculture, who undertook 

 the organising of the collection on all the areas cut over by the 

 Government, there has probably never been such a shortage 

 of Scots pine seed within the memory of living nurserymen. 

 There has been a fairly large crop of larch cones, but the 

 quality proved very indifferent. The supply has, however, been 

 of importance in helping to eke out the supplies obtainable from 

 the Continent, which have been smaller than usual. In 1918- 

 the crop of both larch and Norway spruce on the Continent fell 

 far short of the expectations of the continental seed firms in 

 allied and neutral countries, and the statements made last 

 autumn regarding the crop had later on to be considerably 

 modified. Continental firms have also peen unable to ship as 

 early as usual owing to labour troubles, and owing to a dockers' 

 strike in Denmark large quantities which were being consigned 

 from that country were unfortunately held up at the last minute. 



An abnormally wet collecting season in Japan hindered the 

 shipment of Larix leptolepis, so that only part of the supplies 

 arranged for arrived in time for this season's sowing. No 

 difficulty was experienced in getting prompt shipment of Douglas 

 fir and Sitka spruce from America, and it is believed that the 

 sowings of these species are much larger than usual. 



The weather conditions during last winter and spring were 

 very trying to the nurseryman. In the middle of September an 

 early frost of great severity was experienced, and in some centres 

 the entire stock of larch, both seedlings and transplants, was 

 more or less affected, and to a lesser extent Douglas fir and Sitka 

 spruce ; Norway spruce and beech likewise suffered. The stocks 

 of these species must in this way have been considerably 

 diminished, and in addition there were serious losses owing to 

 the dry frosts which were experienced from January onwards. 

 Owing to the absence of snow, the action of the frost was very 

 unfavourable to plants, and frost lifting was much more preva- 

 lent than usual. Both thinly grown seedlings in the seed-beds 

 and two-year seedlings lined out suffered very severely, serious 

 losses being incurred. In fact, it was often necessary to lift and 

 transplant whole brakes of two-year seedlings, the roots of which 

 were left with a very precarious hold. There was a decided 

 improvement in the weather during the months of April and 



