148 ARTIFICIAL FORMATION OF WOODS. 



of a good rich colour, possess a healthy smell, and look fresh 

 in the interior when cut open. The percentage of good seed 

 can, in the case of heavy seeds such as acorns, sweet chest- 

 nuts and beech nuts, be judged l)y putting them into water, 

 when those properly developed will sink, while the bad and 

 inferior ones will rioat on the surface. 



When accurate information is required, regular germinat- 

 ing tests must be applied. These consist in subjecting a 

 certain number of seeds, usually 100, to conditions which 

 secure quick germination, namely a steady degree of moisture, 

 a temperature of 60 — 70 degrees Fahr., and free admission of 

 air. Any arrangement which secures these conditions will 

 do ; as instances the following may be mentioned : — 



The Pot test. — Fill a shallow, porous flower pot w^ith loose 

 earth, place the seeds on the earth, cover them with some 

 moss, maintain an even temperature, and water periodically, 

 or better still, place the pot inside another containing water. 

 The seeds should be removed as they germinate, keeping an 

 account of them day by day. 



Tlw Flannel test. — Place the seeds between two pieces of 

 flannel, or Altering paper, maintain an even temperature, and 

 water steadily either by a spray or by connecting the flannel 

 with a dish of water. 



Of late years a considerable variety of germinating dishes 

 have been invented, but it is doubtful whether any of them 

 surpasses the more primitive tests described above, especially 

 the flannel and filtering paper tests. 



The percentage of seeds tit to germinate differs much, not 

 only according to species, but also in diti'erent samples of 

 seed of the same species. Seed may be considered good if 

 a carefully conducted germinating test gives the following 

 percentage of germinable seeds :— 



Spruce 75 per cent. 



Austrian pine . . . | 



Scotch pine . • • . ■ . 70 ., 



Corsican pine . . . ' 



