APPENDIX. XXX 111 



to germinate the first year. There are many factors which in- 

 fluence the fertility and vigour of seed, the most important of 

 which may be briefly summarised. 



(1) In a gcbd seed year the seed is invariably better, the ger- 

 mination per cent, greater and vitality higher than in a bad seed 

 year. This has been proved to be the case many times with the 

 deodar where in a good seed year the success of artificial repro- 

 duction is much greater than in years of poor seed supply although 

 there is no apparent difference in the seed. 



(2) The complete ripeness of the seed is vital factor, seed 

 should be collected when ripening is at its maximum, early and 

 very late seed should be avoided. 



(3) In many species (e.g., sal and sain) the size of the seed 

 varies considerably ; the fertility of large well developed seed and 

 the vigour of the resulting seedlings is a well established fact. 



(4) Recent investigations have shown that variations in the 

 characteristics of the mother tree due to soil and climate may be 

 transmitted through the seed. Thus in Etawah local babul seed 

 is useless for afforestation work on account of its deep rooted habit', 

 and to obtain the best results the seed has to be obtained from the 

 Hamirpur district where the tree has developed a shallow rooted 

 system owing to water-logged soil conditions. 



In the Etawah district plantation areas the spring water level 

 has sunk in the last 300 years from about 60 feet to over 100 feet 

 as the result of erosion, and the rain water now penetrates the 

 surface soil to a depth of a few inches only ; below this the soil 

 is absolutely dry and compact until the spring level is reached. 

 There is absolutely no natural regeneration from seed, and it is 

 thought that the isolated trees are the offspring of coppice stools 

 of great age whose roots have kept pace with the sinking spring 

 level. Roots have been dug up at a depth of 102 feet. This deep 

 rooted character of the Etawah babul seems to have been trans- 

 mitted to the seed. The intense soil cultivation prior to afforesta- 

 tion increases the surface seepage sufficiently to enable the ordinary 



