2 MISC. PUBLICATION 9 9 2, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



1929; Hull and Stewart, 1948). Reports on airplane seeding stated 

 that broadcasting pelleted or nonpelleted seed is successful only 

 where competing vegetation is eliminated and where natural seed 

 covering is provided, as by leaf-fall of deciduous trees or deep ashes 

 of timber burns (Plummer and Stewart, 1944; Bleak and Phillips, 

 1950; Plummer et al., 1955). 



Concurrently with early airplane seeding of rangelands, the pelleting 

 of seed was developed commercially. Pelleting combines seeds into 

 larger bodies. When seeds are very small, pelleting makes them 

 easier to handle and facilitates uniform distribution with conventional 

 planting equipment. Airplane broadcasting of pelleted seed seemed 

 to offer promise. It was felt that the airplane would provide speed, 

 that pelleting would provide even distribution, and that either the 

 pelleting material or ground penetration of the seed pellets would pro- 

 vide seed covering (Ashley, 1945; Haystead, 1945). 



As the first large-scale airplane seedings of rangeland with com- 

 pressed earthen pellets were carried out, the following advantages 

 were claimed for pellets: 



(1) Seeding by airplane could be done at half the cost of con- 

 ventional seeding methods and at several times the speed (Haystead, 

 1945; Kimball, 1949). 



(2) Because of their weight, pellets could be seeded in the wind; 

 in straight rows; or, by using a bombsight, even in curving rows on 

 the contour (Ashley, 1945). 



(3) Pellets could be supplied with growth-promoting vitamins and 

 fertilizer to stimulate rapid seedling growth (Haystead, 1945; 

 Kimball, 1949). 



(4) Seed in pellets could be made safe from disease, insects, rodents, 

 and birds by adding fumigants and repellants (Ashley, 1945 ; Haystead, 

 1945;McSurely, 1945). 



(5) Either pellets had enough moisture to start germination or 

 seeds in pellets required less moisture for germination than regular 

 seed (Ashley, 1945; Kimball, 1949). 



(6) Pointed but perforated metal pellets could be used for pene- 

 trating the litter of forest floors and for other special conditions 

 (Ashley, 1945; Haystead, 1945; Kimball, 1949). 



(7) On dry areas, special explosive pellets could blast out pits to 

 hold moisture for normal pellet seeding (Ashley, 1945). 



The earliest range seedings with compressed earthen pellets were 

 made during the years 1946-49. In 1949 and 1954, large-scale range 

 seedings were made with coated seed pellets. In 1961, seedings were 

 again made with compressed earthen pellets. In all, 180,057 acres 

 were seeded with pelleted seed in six Western States; about 95 

 percent was seeded with compressed earthen pellets. 



