58 



time rights in the grazing areas of the National Forests or Public 

 Domain. On the motion of Dr. Chrysler, the Secretary was 

 authorized to write letters to the senators and to the Hon. 

 N. J. Sinnott, Chairman of the House Committee on Public 

 Lands, protesting against the passage of this bill. The President 

 recommended that the individual members of the club also write. 



The President stated that the society has been asked by the 

 International Botanical Congress to send a delegate to the 

 Congress at Ithaca, N. Y., in August. By vote of the club the 

 President was authorized to appoint such a delegate. 



The scientific part of the program was an illustrated lecture 

 by Dr. Wm. Crocker, entitled "Experimental studies of difficul- 

 ties in plant propagation." The work reported is being conducted 

 at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research in coopera- 

 tion with nurserymen, geneticists, and others who are confronted 

 with practical difficulties in propagation. Three lines of in- 

 vestigation were discussed: i. difficulties in propagation from 

 seeds, 2. difficulties in propagation from cuttings, and 3. the 

 forcing of dormant tubers and bulbs. The speaker stated that 

 the investigations should be extended to a study of grafting, 

 especially the matter of degrees of compatibility between stocks 

 and scions, because of the troubles being met in the line by 

 nurserymen and others. 



In speaking of difficulties met in propagation from seeds the 

 speaker emphasized the work in seed stratification. This is a 

 very old practice that often succeeds and often fails. Aside 

 from bad seeds the failure is commonly due to failure to control 

 the temperature of the stratification bed. There are three 

 classes of seeds that need stratification: i. seeds that do not 

 stand excessive drying and are stratified to prevent this — the 

 chestnut and some oaks are said to belong in this class; 2. seeds 

 that need a long period in the germination bed preparatory to 

 germination, but in which the temperature of the bed is not so 

 important, provided it is well above freezing — the hollies belong 

 in this class; and 3. seeds that need a considerable period in the 

 stratification bed at approximately 5° C. The seeds in this 

 third class needing stratification have dormant mature embryos. 



The speaker and his co-workers have given little attention 

 to the first two classes but have studied the third class in con- 

 siderable detail. He showed slides in proof of the fact that in 



