The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1910-07-30
Most of This Seed Has AL
ready Been Planted, Rest
Will be Utilized Later In
the Season.
MANY SEEDS DO
NOT GERMINATE
When Nursery Stock is
Raised a Liberal Allow
ance Made for Loss, Some
Seed Found Infertile.


Washington, ID. c., July.-The U. y.
Department Of Agriculture is using this
year on the National Forests over ten
tons Of tree seed. Most of this seed
has already been planted or sown. The
rest will be utilized later in the season
as favorable conditions are presented.
II takes Q great many tree seeds to
make ten toss. Jack pine, the most inn
portant tree for planting in the Nebras-
ka sand hills by the Forest Service,
will average something like 5000 to
the pound. OF Western yellow pine,
the tree most extensively planted
throughout the National Forests as a
whole, 10000 seed will make a pound.
Although the ten tons of seed to be
used this year represent perhaps 800
million single seeds.
II every seed could be depended on
70 produce q young tree suitable for
planting, the result would be sup
ply Of nursery stock sufficient to plant
three hundred thousand acres Of land,
but NO sucn 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 a cors.planter, directly in the
place where the trees are to stand
Even when nursery stock is raised
liberal allowance must be made for
loss. In the first place, a considerable
percentage of the seeds will be found
to be isfertile. OF those which ger.
inmate, many will die before they
leave the nursery beds, and many more
will be lost in transplanting II from
a pound Of Western yellow pine seed
that contains 10000 individual seeds.
1000 three. year-old transplants are
available for field planting, the De.
psrtment of Agriculture has obtained
satisfactory results.
There are now twenty.four National
Forest nurseries with an annual pro.
ductive capacity of over million
seedlings. But there are many millions
Of old burns on the National Forests
which are waiting 10 he restocked, and
some quicker and cheaper method than
the actual planting of nursery grown
trees is urgently needed. Therefore
the foresters are making experiments
on q large scale with different methods
Of direct sowing and planting, ard
most of the seed gathered last year was
obtained for this use.
Breadeasting has already been found
to give good results In some regions.
II was hrst tried in the Black Hills of
South Dakota, with an encouraging
outcome. To broadcast an acre of
land with yellow pine seed about =
pounds Of seed is used. One Of the
most formidable drawback to this meth.
cd Ii the extent to which the seed
may be consumed by birds and rodents.
II the season happens 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
held mice, ground squirrels, and goph.
ers, which eat the tree seeds, and also
tae further problem of preventing the
depredations Of rabbits, which are al
together too fond Of the little trees
themselves, whether nursery trans
plants or held-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
mon themselves. The cost of gather.