Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-08-04
TEN TONS Of TREE
SEED DISTRIBUTED
THIS YEAR
Three Hundred Million Seeds to
Be Scattered About National
Forests for Experimental.
Purposes,
Morning Journal Bureau,
6l3 Munsey Building.

hSHiiEtpHt -. l.. Aug. /.
The United States department /,
using this year on the national for
ests over ten tons of tree seed. Most
of this g has already been planted
or sown. The rest viii be utilized
later in the season as favorable con
ditlons are presented.
II takes a great many tree seeds 70
make ten tons. Jack pine, the most
important tree for planting in the
Nebraska sand hills by TIE forest
service. viii average something like
1925. 600 TO the pound. or western
yellow pine, the tree most extensively
planted throughout the national for
ests, as a whole. 10000 seed will
make a pound. Altogether the ten
tons of seed to be used this year rep
resent perhaps 500, 000,O single
seeds.
II every seed could be depended on
TO produce a young tree suitable for
planting, the result would lie a supply
of nursery stock sufficient to plant
800. 600 acres of land, but no such re-
suit can be looked for because many
seeds do not terminate. Most of the
seed will be sown, either broadcast or
in seed spots. or planted with a corn
planter. directly in the place where
the trees are TO stand.
Even when nursery stock is raised
a liberal allowance must be made for
loss. In the first place. a consider
able percentage Of the seeds will be
found to be infertile. of those which
terminate, many will die before they
leave the nursery beds. and many
---.- ..4lt - l..t t.. $50. ,rrHa ,tfn. ~
from a pound of western yellow pine
seed that contains 10000 individual
seeds, 1000 three-year-old transplants
are available for field planting, the
department of agriculture has OBJ
tanned satisfactory results.
There are now twenty-four national
forest seedlings. But there are many
millions Of old burns on the national
forests which are waiting 4 be re-
stocked. aud some quicker and
cheaper method thar the actual
planting OF nursery grown trees is
urgently needed. Therefore the for
esters are making experiments on a
large scale with different methods of
direct sowing and planting, and most
OF the seed gathered last year was
obtained for this use.
Rroadcasting has already been
found TO give good results in some
regions. 1t was first tried in the.
Black Hills Of South Dakota. with an
encouraging outcome. To broadcast
an acre OF land with yellow pine seed
about eight pounds OF seed is used
One of the most formidable draw
backs to this method is the extent TO
which the seed may be consumed by
birds and rodents. II the season hap
pens to be one in which food for
these animals is scarce, the loss il
very heavy. The problem Of control
of animal pests, such as field mice,
ground squirrels. and gophers, which
eat the tree seeds, and also the
further problem of preventing the de-
predations OF rabbits, which are al
together too fond OF the little trees
themselves. whether nursery trans
plants or field-grown seedlings. is re-
ceiving the attention OF the biological
survey experts of the department OF
agriculture. ,
In some localities the department
has had TO purchase seed, but most
OF that used is gathered by forest
service men themselves. The cost OF
gathering has varied for the different
regions from 35 cents to 81 a pound
AS a rule. the seed is collected in the
fall months. when most conifers ripen
their seed. Parties of three or four
men ordinarily work together. Where
numbering is in progress the coll
lectors follow the sawyers and take /
the cones directly from the felled
In standing timber, the task
is much more arduous. The men must
often climb tall pines and pun the
cones from the branches as best they
can. Where these are on the ex-
and beyond the reach of the
hand, pruning shears are used. The
cones are dropped TO the ground and
then gathered into buckets and trans
ferred TO sacks. in which they are
carried 10 a central point for further
treatment.
The extraction Of the seeds is
tedious rather than. difficult. In
cases the cones are spread out
sheets in the sun. when, after
a time, they open and the seed drop
out IN other cases, It is necessary 20
resort TO artificial heat.
This is applied by placing h cones
upon trays with screen bottoms and
raising the temperature of the room
10 the proper degree. The cones
open. the winged seeds fall out, and
he seed is separated finally from
wings and dirt by a tanning mill. a
good many seeds have been removed
from the cone by hand. but this is a
sore trial To the fingers OF the pick
FRS and an exceedingly slow process.