47 



LARIX LEPTOLEPIS. The most important of the Japanese spe 

 cies is naturally the larch. 



Even of late years the real value of this seed varies from one 

 extreme to the other, and the Japanese themselves have admitted 

 that the many bad results are to be traced to the too early break- 

 ing of the cones. They try to get the earliest possible profit from 

 the cones and in this way destroy the harvest. The tests of the 

 last four years show this. 



Germination in per cent after 5 10 20 30 days 



190708 Consignment I 



II.... 15 65 



III... 10 56 67(4-1) 



190809 14 



1910 11 Consignment I 3 20 48 49 



II.... 12 38 



HI ... 5 27 



191112 1 1 15 



II.... 8 29 



Such germination results as these cannot, unfortunately, be 

 accepted with satisfaction; but progress is being made. In early 

 years the thoroughly bad consignments appeared even more fre- 

 quently, and these led to great losses. In January 1906, I received 

 300 kg. of Japanese larch seed which I paid for on receipt, and 20 

 days afterwards, learnt by germination tests that the seed was 

 worthless; fortunately this was discovered before it was distribu- 

 ted to the forest nurseries. 



The PICEA and PINUS species have often a perfectly satis- 

 factory germinating capacity, if one could, as already said, only 

 guarantee the genuineness of the seed. 



The four species: Pinus koreensis, P. parviflora, P. pentaphylla 

 and P. pumila, which all belong to the Cembran group and have 

 large hard-shelled seeds, germinate, like the European Cembran 

 pine, very slowly only after 3-400 days , consequently the 

 seed must be prepared (stratified) a year before sowing. I have 

 never received seed of Pinus pumila that the Seed-testing Insti- 

 tution could get to germinate. 



The seed of PSEUDOLARIX KAEMPFERI is obtainable in Italy, 

 which is a great advantage because it loses its germinating capa- 



