THE RE-AFFORESTATION OF HAINHAULT.
23
Sowing Tree-Seeds. Besides the planting, a quantity of seed of
forest trees, and of Broom, Gorse, Bramble, and Briar were sown
broadcast, as it was thought that the vegetation would thus come
more naturally distributed. Broom and Gorse have in almost
all cases done well, and such saplings as came through the dense
growth of couch and weeds make a growth that compares well in
vigour with that of transplanted trees. But so few came through
at all that it seemed probable that the seeds were either dead or
that the seedling plants were smothered.
Fig. 5. — NATURAL FOREST REGENERATION. OAK TELE STILL SURROUNDED BY
THICKET OF HAWTHORN, BRAMELE AMI) DOG ROSE WHICH AFFORDED IT
PROTECTION WHEN A SAPLING.
Vitality and Germination.—Some of the seeds were submitted
to Mr. F. J. Chittenden to test for germination capacity at the
County Technical Laboratories, Chelmsford. The seeds were
planted in sand and kept under favourable conditions for
germination. He reported that the acorns were dead, and that of
the Broom and Gorse seed, 70 per cent, germinated within a few
weeks of sowing. The Dog-rose, Mountain-ash, and Hawthorn
seeds remained dormant from the time of sowing in October,
1904, till May in the year but one succeeding, i.e., about nineteen
months, when about 80 per cent, germinated. In view of this
report it is quite possible that the result of sowing the planta-
tions may in the long run prove more favourable than at first
seemed likely. It is possible that seeds which become buried
immediately they fall germinate much more readily than those