First the Seed, Then the Tree 



135 



further losses normally occur after ger- 

 mination, the usable seedlings pro- 

 duced by a number of species usually 

 run from 10 to 60 percent of the viable 

 seeds sown. The following produce 10 

 to 15 usable seedlings for every 100 

 viable seed sown: European white 

 birch, silver buff aloberry, Siberian crab 

 apple, desertwillow, elms, Tatarian 

 honeysuckle, European larch, common 

 lilac, and Russian mulberry. Lilac 

 chaste-tree, Japanese larch, and red- 

 wood yield 16 to 20 usable seedlings; 

 Dahurian buckthorn, hackberries, Si- 

 berian larch, black locust, and nanny- 

 berry produce 21 to 30; the common 

 jujube and Siberian pea-shrub, 31 to 

 40; and the baldcypress, pines, and 

 spruces, 41 to 60. 



THE SOURCE OF SEED is important. 

 Forest trees and shrubs have evolved 

 races within species. Each race is spe- 

 cially adapted to thrive under the con- 

 ditions in which it has developed. 

 Unless seeds of proper origin are used 

 in forest planting, trees undesirable in 

 vigor, form, or hardiness may result 

 even though the right species has been 

 used. 



Studies started more than 100 years 

 ago in Europe and about 35 years ago 

 in the United States have shown that 

 there are climatic races in about 30 

 North American and 35 foreign tree 

 species. Doubtless many other trees and 

 shrubs also have developed races. Com- 

 prehensive information is available for 

 only five trees: Ponderosa pine and 

 Douglas-fir from North America ; and 

 Scotch pine, Norway spruce, and Euro- 

 pean larch from Europe. Within these 

 species the various races differ in rate 

 of growth, stem form, leaf length, and 

 color; the time that growth starts and 

 stops; resistance to frost, drought, 

 diseases, and insects; fruit and seed 

 size; and wood quality. 



Some forest trees, within areas of 

 uniform climate, have even developed 

 races particularly adapted to local site 

 conditions. Furthermore, trees of the 

 same species within an individual stand 

 may display much hereditary variation 



in all the characteristics listed under 

 climatic races. For these reasons seed 

 collectors should use extreme care in 

 selecting the stands and even individ- 

 ual trees from which they obtain seeds. 

 They should try to have stands of de- 

 sirable trees set aside as tree-seed farms 

 to provide a continuous source of high- 

 quality seeds. 



In most countries of northern and 

 central Europe rigid laws have been 

 enacted to enforce the use of forest- 

 tree seeds of suitable origin. In the 

 United States no Federal legislation 

 has yet been passed, but some dealers 

 have provided information as to seed 

 origin. The United States Department 

 of Agriculture in 1939 adopted a for- 

 est-seed policy, stressing the use of 

 local seeds, and some other agencies 

 have followed suit. 



ON THE BASIS of present knowledge, 

 there are three general requirements 

 that should be enforced either by vol- 

 untary action or regulation : 



Seed collectors should be required 

 to label their seeds accurately and ade- 

 quately as to species, time of collection, 

 and place of collection. 



Seed dealers should be required to 

 purchase only properly labeled seeds 

 from collectors who are known to be 

 reliable. 



Users of seed or nursery stock should 

 demand adequate information as to 

 seed origin and should use only seeds 

 of local origin or of proven adaptabil- 

 ity to local conditions, or stock grown 

 from such seeds. 



PAUL O. RUDOLF is silviculturist at 

 the Lake States Forest Experiment 

 Station, maintained by the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture in cooperation 

 with the University of Minnesota. He 

 has been doing research in forest-plant- 

 ing, forest-seed, and nursery problems 

 in the Lake States since 1931 and is 

 author of numerous publications on 

 those phases of forestry. Mr. Rudolf 

 holds degrees in forestry from the Uni- 

 versity of Minnesota and Cornell 

 University. 



