2o8 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY, 



organisations, and are therefore not interested in any outside 

 schemes. The peasantry of Prussia still own, in spite of the 

 continuous purchases and re-afForestation of waste lands by 

 the Government, upwards of 1,000,000 acres of such land, 

 including rough pastures, which, in their present state, give 

 practically no return, but they are mostly so scattered as to 

 render their afforestation impracticable by any other but local 

 efforts. Numerous small afforestation societies have been 

 formed, and the Government assists with advice, tools, seed, 

 plants, and money ; but though progress has been made, the areas 

 taken in hand are as yet disappointingly small in comparison 

 with the vastness of the problem. 



The year was not favourable for the development of silvicultural 

 operations; the dry autumn of 1909 reduced the moisture in 

 the soil considerably, and was unfortunately followed by a 

 severe frost before any snow fell, rendering the surface of the 

 ground impermeable. The subsequent heavy snow-fall, there- 

 fore, in no way benefited the soil, and when an early thaw 

 set in most of the moisture ran off the still frozen ground. 



As a seed year also 1908-9 had been a bad one for pine and 

 spruce, and even Government had to rely to some extent 

 on importation. The forest administration have long since 

 recognised that a high percentage of germination affects not 

 merely the general but the individual results of the culture, and 

 have, when their own production of seed was insufificient, not 

 hesitated to pay in accordance with their conviction ; but for 

 years the desire to buy in the cheapest market has led to an 

 ever-increasing importation of coniferous seed from Hungary 

 and France on the part of private forest owners, especially the 

 smaller ones. The results have been unfavourable and far- 

 reaching. 



Recent experiments and observations have proved that a 

 much higher percentage of germination can be secured by 

 extracting the seeds as soon as feasible after the ripening of the 

 cones, and by employing a less degree of heat than had been 

 accepted as necessary. They have also proved that coniferous 

 seed can be maintained in a vigorous state in air-tight receptacles 

 for future use. This is very important, but it will further add 

 to the cost of production, and it takes time before private parties 

 can be convinced that the sparing use of the more expensive seeds, 

 with a germinating power of 85 to 95 per cent, is in the end more 



