Reviews. 139 



" Still, the broadcast sowing of native spruce, in 1902, under 

 the poplar groves near Aiden Lair, in Essex county, was success- 

 ful in everv^ respect. Forester Knechtel, who did this sowing, 

 was instructed to make a careful examination of this ground 

 last spring, and make a report on the result. He found the sur- 

 face under the young poplars — trees twenty-five feet high — thick- 

 ly covered wath little spruce setdlings, and his report was so en- 

 couraging that broadcast sowing w'ill be undertaken on a large 

 scale as soon as we can gather a supply of seed from our native 

 spruce for that purpose. The experiment at Aiden Lair indicates 

 that the numerous areas of poplar forest whch no.w cover many 

 of the old burns can be successfully underplanted with red 

 spruce.'" 



The methods followed in obtaining a supply of se<.d also give 

 useful data and are described as follows : — 



" The year 1904 was a seed year for white pine in New Yojk, 

 and so arrangements were made for gathering a supply, as this 

 species produces seed only at intervals of four or five years. An 

 examination of the pines in Northern New York was made by 01 u- 

 foresters last y<;ar, when it was found that the little cones which 

 require two years maturing, were forming to an extent that in- 

 dicated a seed year for 1904. As the native red spruce and Nor- 

 way pine did not bear cones this year the work of seed gathering 

 was confined to w^hite pine. 



" Work was commenced early in September, before the 

 scales on the cones had opened, and a supply was gathered be- 

 tween the 6th and i8th of that month. The men and boys em- 

 ployed were paid 30 cents per bushel delivered in sacks at Wills- 

 boro, at which prices they made good wages. .\t the start onlv 

 25 cents was paid, but as other parties on the ground were oflfcr- 

 ing 30 cents per bushel, Mr. Pettis was obliged to pay the same. 



" The cones were threshed and dried in a bam near Wills- 

 boro. rented temporarily for this purpose, after which the seeds 

 were cleaned and winnowed in a fanning mill of the kind used by 

 fanners." 



" A bushel of white pine cones yield on an average a little 

 over one pound of clean seed, which contains about 29,500 grains. 



