SEED COLLECTION 



The inventory of forest tree seed in storage at the Ontario 

 Tree Seed Plant at Angus, as of June 1, 1970, was about 

 2,420,000,000 viable seeds of 51 species, weighing 469,000 

 ounces, or over 14V2 tons, and valued at approximately 

 $450,000. The year 1970 was a good crop year for pines and 

 a number of other species, but only a low, medium crop 

 for spruce. 



1970 SEED CROP Bushels 



Species Collected 



White Pme 562 



Red Pine 8,250 



Jack Pine 7,510 



Scotch Pine 222 



Black Spruce 775 



White Spruce 1,266 



Black Walnut 5,975 



Other Species 440 



TOTAL 25,000 



Seed Distribution. A total of 853,000,000 viable seeds was 

 supplied from storage to carry out 131 seeding projects in 

 the Province during 1970. This seed goes into three main 

 programs — direct seeding, nursery stock production, and 

 container stock production. 



TREE IMPROVEMENT 



Through application of the scientific principles of forest 

 genetics, we are improving the quality and increasing the 



quantity of available seed. Our approaches include the 

 selection of additional "plus trees," the development of 

 seed production areas, and the planting of grafted trees in 

 seed orchards. The program is concerned mainly with white 

 pine, red pine, jack pine, white spruce, black spruce and 

 red spruce. 



During the year, we collected 5,000 scions from "plus 

 trees"; these were grafted at our co-operating nurseries. A 

 total of 55.5 acres of seed produciton area was thinned, 

 released or improved in other ways. The planting of 1,400 

 grafted trees was completed on 8.0 acres of seed orchard. 

 A collection of 532 bushels of cones was made from seed 

 production areas. 



AsofMarch31,1971 



Seed Production Areas 



Seed Orchards 



NURSERY SOIL MANAGEMENT 



Soil management is primarily concerned with the collection 

 of soil and plant samples from ten nurseries, evaluation of 

 the chemical and physical analyses, interpretation of the 

 analytical results into meaningful terms, and making the 

 fertilizer recommendations for the next growing season. 

 Also, our objective is to describe the relationship which 

 exists between plant growth and the input of a particular 

 nutrient. High soil fertility must be maintained if sustained 

 maximum efficiency in crop production is to be realized. 



Nutrient deficiencies are corrected by designing and con- 

 ducting experiments and trials in which the known limiting 

 growth factors are evaluated and overcome. It is important 



Management foresters describe and demonstrate tree- 

 pruning techniques at forestry field day field for W.I. A. 



agreement fiolders at Limerick County Forest, June, 1970. 

 Photo by W. D. Marshall. 



