14 



Forester Pettis, who was in charge of this work, after a pro- 

 longed examination of the pine in various localities, selected the 

 woods in the vicinity of Willsboro, Essex county, as the best 

 field for operations. An agent for some European seed firms 

 was already there with a large force of men and boys engaged 

 in collecting white pine cones. 



Work was commenced early in September, before the scales 

 on the cones had opened, and a supply was gathered between 

 the 6th and 18th of that month. The men and boys employed 

 were paid 30 cents per bushel delivered in sacks at Willsboro, at 

 which price they made very good wages. At the start only 25 

 cents was paid, but as other parties on the ground were offering 

 30 cents per bushel, Mr. Pettis was obliged to pay the same. 



The cones were dried and threshed in a barn near Willsboro, 

 rented temporarily for this purpose, after which the seeds were 

 cleaned and winnowed in a fanning mill of the kind used by 

 farmers. 



A bushel of white pine cones yields on an average a little over 

 one pound of clean seed, which contains about 29,500 grains. As 

 the foresters received 500 bushels of cones they secured over 

 500 pounds of clean seed. This supply cost 47 1 /2 cents per pound, 

 not including the forester's expenses or the purchase of some 

 material which was charged to the permanent plant, and is avail- 

 able for future work of this kind. As the market price of white 

 pine seed runs from $2.50 to $4.50 per pound, according to the 

 absence of a seed year and its scarcity, it will be seen that the 

 work was timely and economical. 



Part of this stock is needed for the seed beds in our nurseries 

 during the years that must intervene before another supply can 

 be gathered, and the remainder will be used for broadcast sowing 



