Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1910-10-15
TEN TONS OF
FREE SEED
To Be Used This Year By
Government To ReStOck
Its Forest.

The United states department OF
Agriculture is using this year in the ma
tional forests over ten tons of tree seed.
Most Of this seed has already been
planted or sown. The rest will be util-
ICED later in the season as favorable
conditions are presented.
II takes great many tree seeds to
make ten tons. Jack pine. the most
important tree for planting in the Ne
braska sand hills by the forest service,
will average something like 125. 900 to
the pound. OF Western yellow pine,
the tree most extensively planted
throughout the national forests as a
whole. 10000 seeds will make pound.
Altogether the ten tons of seed to be
used this year represent perhaps 30O,-
0oO, 900 single seeds.
II every seed could be depended on to
produce young tree suitable for plant
ing the result would be supply of nur-
sery stock sufficient to plant 100000
acres of land, but no such result can be
looked for because many seeds do not
germinate. Most of the seed will be
sown either broadcast or in seed spots
or planted with corn planter directly
in the place where the trees are to stand.
Liberal Allowance For Loss.
Even when nursery stock is raised a
liberal allowance must be made for loss.
In the first place, considerable per-
centage Of the seeds will be found to be
infertile. OF those which germinate
many will die before they leave the nur-
sery beds, and many more will be lost
in transplanting. If from a pound Of
Western yellow pine seed that contains
10, 900 individual seeds, 1000 3-year-old
transplants are available for field plant
ing the Department of Agriculture has
obtained satisfactory results.
There are now "a national forests nur-
series. with an annual productive capac-
ity of over 100000 seedlings. But
there are many millions of old burns on
the national forests which are waiting
to be restored, and some quicker and
cheaper methods than the actual plant
ing Of nursery grown trees is urgently
needed. Therefore the foresters are
making experiments on large scale
with different methods of direct sewing
and planting, and most Of the seed gath
cred last year was obtained for this use.
Broadcasting 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 yell
low pine seed about eight pound of seed
is used. One of the most formidable
drawbacks of 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 is 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 depredations of rabbits, which are
altogether 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.
Gathering Seed Arduous Task.
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 %
cents to 81 a pound. AS rule. the seed
is collected in the fall months, when
most conifers ripen their seed. Parties
of three or four men ordinarily work to-
gether.
Where numbering is in progress the
collectors follow the sawyers and take
the cones directly from the felled trees.
In standing timber the task is much
more arduous. The men must often
climb tall pines and pull the cones from
the branches as best they can. Where
these are on the extremities and beyond
the reach Of the hand pruning shears
are used. The cones are dropped to the
ground and then gathered into buckets
and Transferred to sacks. in which they
are carried TO n central point for furth-
er treatment.
The extraction Of the seeds is tedious
rather than difficult. In some cases the
cones are spread cut upon sheets in the
sun, when after time they open and
the seed drops out; in other cases it is
necessary TO resort TO artificial heat.
This is applied by placing the cones upon
trays with screen bottoms and raising
the temperature Of the room to the
proper degree. The cones open. the
winged seeds fall out and the 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 fin.
gers Of the pickers and an exceedingly
slow process,