NURSERY PRACTICE ON THE NATIONAL FORESTS. 



]!) 



of the growing season at the nursery. When feasible Lin- seed 

 should be graded so as to eliminate the weak seed in the beginning 

 and prevent the production of stock which is undesirable and will 

 have to be discarded later on. Other things considered, the larger 

 seeded forms of a species are to be preferred because they produce 

 larger plants in the same length of time than the smaller seeded 

 varieties. 



In no case should seed be used whose germination per cent is less 

 than the average for the best fresh seed of the species. Germination 

 tests should be made, and the seed which is found unsuitable rejected. 

 The use of seed whose quality is not known may result in very thin 

 stands of seedlings and thus upset nursery and planting plans for a 

 year or two. When regular germination tests have not been con- 

 ducted, some knowledge of the quality of the seed may be obtained by 

 •utting open 200 or more and noting the condition of the kernel or 

 meat. If the kernel is plump and full and of a good cream or white 

 3olor the seed is probably good. This test is not wholly a reliable 

 3r satisfactory one, however, since it usually gives higher percent- 

 iges of good seed than are obtained when regular germination-test 

 nethods are employed. 



Seed which will germinate at the rate indicated in the following 

 Sable will generally prove satisfactory for nursery purposes. The 

 figures were obtained through actual tests of 200 seeds of each species, 

 wwn in small flats filled with sand or soil and exposed to a greenhouse 

 winter and spring temperature of from 60° to 80° F. The figure 

 criven under 100 days is not necessarily the final germination per 

 :ent of the species ; but the percentage shown for each species listed 

 is a very good one for a test covering that period of time. 



Results of germination tests. 



Species. 



\bies concolor 



aipressus arizonica 



Larix occiden talis 



ubocedrus decurrens 



Picea engelmanni 



Pinus contorta 



Pinus jeffreyi 



Pinus lambertiana 



Pinus mont icola 



Pinus ponderosa: 



Black Hills 



Colorado 



Arizona 



Montana 



Idaho 



California 



"seudotsuga taxifolia: 



Rocky Mountain form. 



Idaho 



Coast form 



Sequoia washingtoniana. . . 

 Chuja plicata 



Germination per cent. 



In 20 

 days. 



25 



25 



44 



70-S6 



60-70 



24-30 



5-10 



2-2.5 



60-65 

 76-90 



80 



71 

 41^6. 5 

 30-36 



70-74 

 21 

 3 



In 30 

 days. 



2 



33.5 

 30 

 54 



70-85 

 40-45 

 21-33 

 3- 4 



In 60 

 days. 



56-62.5 

 36. 5-42. 5 



43.5 

 10 

 30-38 



70-75 

 47-59 

 12-14 



75.5-S0 

 69.5 



61-69 

 46 



In 100 

 days. 



to 



68-70 



42-45 





