AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN NEW HAMPSHIRE 29 



Plantation Studies 



The annual spring examination was made and the growth and survival 

 measured for the various series of plantations under investigation. The 

 severe weather during the 1942-43 winter appears to have had its greatest 

 effect on the hardwoods; as a result a number of sample trees have their 

 tops killed back. Since the growth was measured to the height reached 

 during the preceding fall, the effects of this winter killing will not be ap- 

 parent until next year's measurements are taken. 



Nine new plantations were established during the spring of 1942, as 

 \ve\\ as two direct seeding experiments. A summary of these plantings 

 is giv^en on page 28. 



In the study of sprout reproduction, one series of 50 stumps was num- 

 bered last spring, and the sprouts were measured at the end of the grow- 

 ing season. The results are as follows: 



Sprout Growth During 1942 By Species 



These stumps were all from trees cut during the winter of 1941-42. 

 It is planned to establish further series on areas cut over in the winter of 

 1942-43, in order to get a better and more even representation by species. 



Twenty-two species of seeds were collected and tested, most of 

 which have been planted in the nursery to supply seedlings for future 

 plantations. For each variety, notations have been made as to the weight 

 of 1000 clean seeds in grams, the per cent viability by cutting, the num- 

 ber of days to first germination and the percentage germination at the 

 end of 50 days. 



An experiment to determine the possibility of collecting freshly ger- 

 minated hardwood seedlings was started during the past year. A number 

 of very young seedlings of basswood, beech, and Canada plum \\ere col- 

 lected in the woods and brought to the nursery where they were set in 

 the seed-beds. The survival thus far has been reasonably good and war- 

 rants further study. The practical value of this project lies in the fact 

 that the seeds of many hardwoods are rather difficult to store. If collected 

 in the fall and kept over winter a large proportion of them are not likelv 

 to germinate when planted in seed-beds. If these newly germinated seed- 



