122 



SEEDING AND PLANTING 



All seed is injured by submerging it for too long a period in 

 water, particularly when hot or lukewarm. The longest sub- 

 mergence of coniferous seed in lukewarm water should not exceed 

 from 16 to 24 hours. A submergence in cold water for several 

 days is usually harmless. 



When seed has been kept in a dry room for some months before 

 sowing, Mayr 1 recommends that it be transferred to a moist cellar 

 or a moist room having a relative humidity of 70 per cent for a 

 period of 2 or 3 weeks before seeding. 



32. The Average Viability of Commercial Seed 



The following table compiled from researches made by the 

 author from 1900 to 1910 shows the average viability of fresh 



1 When the seed has been stratified all or nearly all germinate within fifty days. 



1 Mayr, Heinrich: Waldbau auf naturgesetzlicher Grundlage. S. 327. 

 Berlin, 1909. 



