8 



seed itself, and acts as a sort of sail .thereby facilitating the 

 distribution of the seed by means of the wind when the cones 

 open. 



The length of the seed with the wing attached is from ^ of an 

 inch to I inch in length and from i-io to ys of an inch in tliick- 

 ness. 



It takes two years for the seed in these cones to mature, and 

 the mature cones are from 4 to 6 inches long. The cones are 

 usually borne only on 3 or 4 whorls of branches at the 

 top of the tree, but trees grown in the open produce more seed 

 than those grown in the forest. 



Trees may bear seed when 20 years old, but these seeds are 

 not usually very fertile, and crops of good seed are not produced 

 as a rule before the trees are from 30 to 35 years old. After 

 that age, some seed is usually produced each year, but large 

 crops of seed occur only at intervals of from 5 to 7 years. The 

 year of abundant seeding is called a seed-year, and it is impor- 

 tant to note when these occur when methods of natural repro- 

 duction are being used. During the last week of August or the 

 first of September, two-year-old cones turn brown and begin to 

 open, most of the seed escaping by the middle or end of Septem- 

 ber. Most of this seed falls within a few hundred feet of the 

 parent tree, but with a strong wind some of the winged seeds 

 may be borne as far as half a mile or even a mile in some cases. 



About 80% to 90% of the fresh seeds germinate under 

 favorable conditions. The seed may also be kept over toi 

 several years, but the germination average is very much reduced, 

 being only 40% to 50% in the second year and less each year 

 after. It is, therefore, very desirable to procure only fresh 

 seed for planting. 



Management oe the Woodlot. 



Besides protection from fire and grazing, the practice of good 

 forestry by the individual resolves itself into the observance of a 

 few very simple rules of management. The method of treat- 

 ment used will, of course, vary considerably with the present 

 condition of the stand and the purposes of the owner. The lat- 

 ter must first be decided upon by the owner in each particular 

 case ; but for a better understanding of the former, stands may 



