FOREST SERVICE. 29 



Since most of the trees used in reserve planting bear full seed crops 

 only at intervals of from two to seven years, surplus seed must be 

 stored. Storage tests to determine how best to preserve the germi- 

 native energy were begun at five of the stations and at Washington. 



A series of tests on the vitality, germinative energy, weight, volume, 

 and purity of 27 species of pine seeds was carried on in cooperation 

 with the Seed Testing Laboratory of the Department. 



EECONNAISSAN t'B. 



Extensive preliminary examinations for reserve planting plans 

 were finished during the year in the Lewis and Clark, Modoc and 

 Warner mountains. Cassia, Malad, Salt Lake, Gunnison, and Gila 

 forest reserves. Favorable openings were found in the Salt Lake 

 Eeserve, where a nursery has since been established; in the Malad 

 Division of the Bear River Forest Eeserve, and in the Gila Forest 

 Reserve. 



Planting for the improvement of city watersheds located within 

 forest reserves is an urgent duty of the Forest Service. A prelimi- 

 nary reconnaissance was made on reserves in the Southwest, und 

 examinations were completed of the water systems of Pueblo, Colo- 

 rado Springs, Denver, Boulder, Longmont, Loveland, Fort Collins, 

 and Greeley, Colo. 



OFFICE \\'0RK. 



A plan was devised and adopted for indexing in condensed form 

 the data on nursery work and planting for each reserve. The essen- 

 tial data of former planting station reports were transferred to cards 

 indexed under subjects and years. 



COOPERATIVE PLANTING. 



The cooperative work was continued under the general provisions 

 of a revised edition of Circular 22. An entirely new outline for 

 planting-plan studies and reports was adopted. 



As a rule planting plans were made without charge for small land- 

 owners, public and educational institutions, and Departments of the 

 Federal Government. For large private holdings the prelimmary 

 examination was made free, but the field expenses of the detail plan 

 was charged to the cooperator, as was the cost of supervising the ex- 

 ecution of the plans. 



A set of index cards was compiled giving data on 1,326 forest plan- 

 tations in 26 States, and another giving notes on seed production, 

 seed preservation, germination percentage, methods of propagation, 

 etc., for 72 species. Incomplete data on 49 additional species are also 

 filed. 



PLANTINQ PLANS. 



During the fiscal year there were made 33 detailed plans for plant- 

 ing on 10,233 acres in 19 States, 5 preliminary examinations, cover- 

 ing 103,895 acres, where planting was not recommended, and 6 exami- 

 nations, covering 212,660 acres, where planting plans were advised, 

 but action is still pending. In North Carolina a plan for fire pro- 

 tection was prepared for a tract of 1,200 acres. There are 34 appli- 

 cations now on file for lands aggregating 13,711 acres. 



