9 9 1 , ▁Be ard more ▁et ▁al . ▁ 1 9 9 7 ). ▁ ▁G ross nick le ▁et ▁al . ▁( 1 9 9 2 ) ▁compared ▁interior ▁spr uce ▁seed lings ▁with ▁em bl ings ▁during ▁nur ser y ▁development ▁and ▁through ▁a ▁stock ▁quality ▁assess ment ▁program ▁immediately ▁before ▁field ▁out plant ing . ▁Se ed ling ▁shoot ▁height , ▁root ▁col lar ▁diameter , ▁and ▁dry ▁weight ▁increased ▁at ▁a ▁greater ▁rate ▁in ▁seed lings ▁than ▁in ▁em bl ings ▁during ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁growing ▁season , ▁but ▁there after ▁shoot ▁growth ▁was ▁similar ▁among ▁all ▁plants . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁growing ▁season , ▁seed lings ▁were ▁ 7 0 % ▁t aller ▁than ▁em bl ings , ▁had ▁greater ▁root ▁col lar ▁diameter , ▁and ▁greater ▁shoot ▁dry ▁weight . ▁Root ▁dry ▁weight ▁increased ▁more ▁rapidly ▁in ▁seed lings ▁than ▁in ▁em bl ings ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁growing ▁season ▁ ▁During ▁fall ▁acc lim ation , ▁the ▁pattern ▁of ▁increasing ▁d orm ancy ▁release ▁index ▁and ▁increasing ▁toler ance ▁to ▁free zing ▁was ▁similar ▁in ▁both ▁seed lings ▁and ▁em bl ings . ▁Root ▁growth ▁capacity ▁decre ased ▁then ▁increased ▁during ▁fall ▁acc lim ation , ▁with ▁the ▁increase ▁being ▁greater ▁in ▁seed lings . ▁ ▁Ass ess ment ▁of ▁stock ▁quality ▁just ▁prior ▁to ▁plant ing ▁showed ▁that : ▁em bl ings ▁had ▁greater ▁water ▁use ▁efficiency ▁with ▁decre asing ▁pre dawn ▁shoot ▁water ▁potential ▁compared ▁with ▁seed lings