drying some jack pine in the dehydrator to open up the serotinous cones

drying some jack pine in the dehydrator to open up the serotinous cones. old forestry manuals describe the temperatures to use. the last bit is funny: “The resin of serotinous cones melts when heated, usually at temperatures in excess of 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 deg C). In one study, cones opened in 80 seconds at 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 deg C) and within 20 seconds at temperatures above 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204
deg C). Seed viability is not markedly affected by heating, unless the cone ignites”