26 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



However, the p^roblem is different from that which confronts the 

 farmer when he w^ants wheat or agricultural seeds for the growing 

 of his annual crops. But fortunately the procuring of tree seeds 

 is now rendered less difficult because there are a number of excellent 

 firms in America which specialize in tree seeds, among which I 

 might mention, Conyers Fleu, Philadelphia; J. M. Thorburn, New 

 York City; Otto Katzenstein & Co., Atlanta, Ga. ; Thos. H. Lane, 

 Dresher, Pa.; Barteldes' Seed Co., Denver, Colo.; and several 

 others. 



It is a source of great satisfaction to know that The Department 

 of Agriculture in Washington has a seed-testing laboratory in which 

 germination and purity tests are made and the number of seeds 

 per pound determined of all species collected. In addition to 

 germination tests, the seed testing laboratory is conducting experi- 

 ments to determine the relative merits of a number of methods of 

 storing conifer seeds. 



Too much importance can not be laid on the necessity of obtain- 

 ing the best and hardiest types, and this requires constant research, 

 traveling, and experiments. While on the subject of seed supply, 

 permit me to explain briefly some of the interesting points con- 

 cerned therewith. To the grower who is desirous of continually 

 improving the t^pe and controlling his source of supply of seed, the 

 first thing is to build up a list of local seed collectors in various 

 parts of the country, and then educate these seed collectors to get 

 what you want. It is not an easy task, I assure you. The ordinary 

 woodman is not acquainted with the various varieties, and the 

 differences between the Fir and Spruce mean but little to him. 

 It requires a great deal of patience. You must be willing to pay 

 for his mistakes; sometimes he collects the cones too early and the 

 seed is worthless; another time he waits until the seed has fallen 

 from the cones and the operation is a failure. 



We have had collectors ship several hundred pounds of Juniperus 

 berries, and not one berry in the entire consignment contained a 

 live germ. It requires two years for the berries of some of the 

 Juniper varieties to develop into maturity. The ripe, matured 

 berries are a deep purple in color, and usually located back among 

 the foliage near the center of the tree, while the green, immature 

 berries are out on the tips of the branches, and are the ones that the 



