FOREST PLAXTIXG IX THE IXTEEMOUXTAIX EEGIOX. 3 



When thoroughly dry, the seeds are removed from the cones by 

 various methods, such as raking the cones, flailing them, or putting 

 them through a cone shaker. 



YIELD FROM CONES. 



Taking into consideration the principal collecting operations in the 

 intermountain region, the minimum, maximum, and average yields 

 of seed per bushel of cones for the various species are given in Table 1. 



Table 1. — Minimum, maximum, and average yields of seed per bushel of cones, 



Utah and Idaho. 



Species. 



Minimum 



Maximum 



yield. 



yield. 



Pounds. 



Pounds. 



0.75 



2.00 



.36 



1.33 



.40 



1.00 



.75 



1.25 



.34 



1.00 



Average 



yield. 



Western yellow pine 



Douglas fir 



Engelmann spruce.. 



Blue spruce 



Lodgepoie pine 



Pounds 

 1.32 

 .76 

 .50 

 1.00 

 .54 



The smallest, largest, and average number of seeds per pound, 

 which were obtained from a large number of samples collected in 

 1911, 1914, and 1915, are given by species in Table 2. 



Table 2. — The smallest, largest, and average number of seeds per pound obtained 

 from samples collected in Utah and Idaho in 1911, 1914, and 1915. 



Species. 



Smallest 



Largest 



number 



number 



of seeds. 



of seeds. 



8,280 



12, 240 



13,000 



19, 063 



23,720 



48, 695 



76, 632 



115, 132 



69,000 



135. 082 



80, 000 



85,000 



Average 

 number 

 of seeds. 



Western yellow pine (Idaho) 

 Western yellow pine (Utah) . 



Douglas fir 



Lodgepoie pine 



Engelmann spruce 



Blue spruce 



9.707 

 15,955 



34, 002 

 81,560 

 80,500 

 83, 750 



COST OF SEED. 



The cost of collecting seed depends on so many factors, such as the 

 abundance of cones, locality, cost of labor, and size of operation, that 

 it is difficult to give a reliable cost figure. The minimum, maximum, 

 and average cost figures for some of the principal operations in this 

 region are given in Table 3. 



Table 3. — Minimum, maximum, and average cost of clean seed per pound, 



and Idaho. 



Utah 



Species. 



Western yellow pine 



Douglas fir 



Engelmann spruce.. 



Blue spruce 



Lodgepoie pine 



Minimum 



Maximum 



cost. 



cost. 



$0.41 



$2. 33 



.69 



6.20 



1.65 



5.52 



.78 



2.16 



1.88 



7.36 



Aver ago 

 cost. 



$0. 87 

 .91 



2.19 

 1.47 

 2.40 



The high cost per pound of lodgepoie pine seed is due to the low 

 yield and the difficulty in extracting the seed, artificial heat fre- 

 quently being necessary to open the cones. 



