Bagging and labelling Sitka spruce cones for nursery seed
The images are courtesy of the Courier and Advertiser via Janet Quarton, Cairnbaan, who is seen on the left as one of the forest staff working on the task. Next from left are Katherine MacLennon, Archie MacVicar (with book checking identity numbers), Hector MacDonald and George Iverson (Forester) standing.
The cones collected from different areas in the forest usually had individual seed identity numbers and it was always quite a task to ensure that these numbers always applied to correct cones especially with all the turning and moving about in limited floor space.
The 50 litre sacks (two to make hectolitre) are being filled with dry cones and the special seed identity labels, filled in with correct details, are tied to the neck of the closed sack. One part of the label was inserted inside the sack before closing to ensure identification if outside label was lost.
Over 6 thousands hectolitres (12000 bags) of Sitka spruce were collected that year in GB and the extracted seed eventually supplied the forest nurseries (Commission and companies including some overseas) for many years. It looks like Janet and her colleagues supplied several hundred bags from Knapdale Forest.
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Groups: Forest Nurseries, Forestry Areas, Forestry in Action, Groups of people