46 



list of the kinds of seed I want and then, when these have arri- 

 ved, paying for everything, entirely irrespective of whether the 

 seed has proved to be correct or incorrect, capable or incapable 

 of germination. It has proved quite hopeless to carry on a written 

 correspondence with these good fellows. In February there arrives 

 an invoice and a consignment which generally includes only half 

 of the goods ordered. Again and again have I sent them samples 

 of their seeds of different years for comparison and asked for an 

 explanation, but I never receive an answer. 



One naturally does not expect Japanese or American seed mer- 

 chants to guarantee the germinating capacity of their seeds. They 

 cannot, because neither in Japan nor in America are there any 

 seed testing Establishments which can be used by business men. 

 On the other hand, the Forest Authorities of these two countries 

 have now got such institutions established for their own use. 



In consequence of the above state of affairs, it is not impro- 

 bable that one or more of us, who may perhaps in another twenty- 

 five years' time take the trouble to accurately test Table III on 

 the seed weight of the Japanese species, may very heavily under- 

 line the query which I myself have placed against several species. 



Of course there are exceptions: the seed weight of Biota, the 

 Chamaecyparis species, Cryptomeria, Gingkyo, L/arix, Pinus kore- 

 ensis, P. parvifolia, P. pentaphylla, P. pumila, Sciadopitys, Pseudo- 

 larix and Thujopsis are given correctly. 



It is also not very edifying to inquire too closely into the ger- 

 mination of the seed. Rarely is a good result obtained; on the con- 

 trary, the figures are generally poor, as is shown by the averages 

 in the Table. A few species indeed form exceptions, as for example, 

 Biota, the seed of which is chiefly obtained from Italy. 



The seed of the two Chamaecyparis species as well as that of 

 Cryptomeria, has, of late years, been often good and often bad: 



Germination in per cent after 5 10 20 30 days 



Chamaecyparis obtusa 1911 12, Lot 1 25 48 



II 7 17 



pisifera 190910 000 



191011 1 15 26 



II 24 51 



Cryptomeria japonica, Danish Seed 1911 12 21 43 72 



Italian 13 24 



Japanese .... 5 12 13 



