VARIABLES TESTED 



This paper describes some effects of several methods of storage for 

 14 years on the germinative capacity of ponderosa pine seed, collected 

 in central Idaho in 1936, from parent trees of different origino Seed 

 was stored in air-tight glass jars in the following locations: 



a. Commercial cold storage at 32° F. 



b. Commercial cold storage at 0° F. 



c. A root cellar where the yearly temperature range is from about 

 30° to 60° F. 



d. Underground (with the jars in a loose-covered metal container 

 for protection) at a depth of 30 inches where the temperature 

 range is from about 33° F. in winter to about 55° F. in summer, 



e . In a loft where temperature range was substantial diurnally 

 and annually, the latter from about -20° to 108° F„ 



Seed sources included: 



a. Young (50 to 70 years) normal stand at 4,000 feet elevation. 



b. Young normal stand at 5,500 feet elevation. 



c. Young open stand at 4,000 feet elevation. 



d. Young open stand at 5,500 feet elevation. 



e. Scattered old (200 to 350 years) growth at 4,000 feet eleva- 

 tion. 



f. Scattered old growth at 5,500 feet elevation. 



The seed was sown in washed creek sand in wooden flats placed under 

 shade outdoors and suitably protected from animals. A randomized block 

 design^:/ was employed to permit an analysis of variance; in this design 

 the position of the various origin-storage combination rows of 100 seed 

 was randomly arranged within each of three blocks. The seed was planted 

 on June 14 and 15, 1950, and counts of germination were meide every 5 days 

 until October 18. Since the viability values of the different lots of 

 seed in 1936 were unknown, there was no opportunity to trace the deterio- 

 ration in germinative capacity that might have occurred since collection. 



1/ The actual design was a modification of one by T. Ewald Maki , 

 North Carolina State School of Forestry, who planned and initiated the 

 experiment in 1937 . 



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