QUALITY OF SEEDS. 691 



The best German firms sell seed with the following per- 

 centages of germinating power : 



Acorns 

 Beech-nuts 



Chestnuts 



iv r i f . . . . 55 to 65 



Maples 



Limes 

 Robinia 



Elm 40 to 50 



Alder 30 to 40 



Birch 20 to 30 



Willow and poplar . . . 5 to 10 



For coniferous seeds, the Swiss Control Station gave the 

 following results : 



Cembran pine .... 85 per cent. 



Spruce . . . . . 68 ,, 



Scots pine . . . . 65 ,, 



Black .... 63 



Weyniouth pine . . . 55 ,, 



Douglas-fir .... 48 ,, 



Larch 38 



Silver-fir . . . . 27 



Seed-dealers supply seed, the quality of which varies in 

 different years : 



Spruce . . 75 to 80 per cent. 



Scots pine . . . 70 to 75 ,, 



Weymouth and black pine 65 to 70 ,, 



Silver-fir . . . 55 to 65 ,, 



Cembran pine . . 40 to 50 ,, 



Larch 30 to 40 



SECTION VIII. SALE AND DISPOSAL OF SEEDS. 



Seeds are sold partly by weight and partly by volume ; it is 

 desirable that both these measures should be used, but they 

 imply no guarantee that the seed is fresh or possesses good 



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