THE AMERICAN NATURALIST [Vol. XLIII 



Seeds of 1865 and 1868 did not germinate. 



1869 24 seeds planted, 4 germinated. 



1870 25 seeds planted, 4 germinated. 



1871 6 seeds planted, 2 germinated. 



1872 19 seeds planted, 5 germinated. 



1873 .... 9 seeds planted, none germinated (cones probably not mature). 



This experiment shows that at least some of the seeds 

 of P. contort a (var. Mur-rayana?) are capable of germi- 

 nation after retention in the cones for nine or ten years. 



My interest having been aroused in this subject while 

 in California, I was led to observe more closely the cones 

 of our native P. serotina on my return to South Carolina 

 and it was soon found that the cones of this species often 

 remain attached and unopen for a much longer time than 

 ever reported. In his "North American Silva," Vol. 

 3, p. 117, Michaux says : 



The eones arrive al maturity the second year, but do not release their 



Sargent follows this statement in his "Silva" and 

 Britton says (in "North American Trees") that the cones 

 "remain closed for several years before dropping the 

 seed." In the neighborhood of Hartville, South Caro- 

 lina, it was not at all uncommon to find cones that had 

 remained unopened for ten or even more years, and the 

 opportunity was taken to collect cones of different ages 

 for a test of the viability of the seeds. The cones were 

 taken to the New York Botanical Garden and there the 

 test was made in June of this year. Seeds that were 

 obviously blasted or dead (as shown by floating in water) 

 were discarded, and are recorded as "rejected"; only 

 apparently sound seeds were planted. The seeds were 

 first germinated between filter paper in Sphagnum moss 

 for about five days until the radicals appeared. A count 

 was then made and the result recorded in the columns 

 of June 29 in the table below.* All the seeds, whether 

 germinated or not, were then planted in soil in pots, and 



mistake planted in soiltefethe Z^w^^**™* ^ ^ ^ ^ 



