SEEDS AND CEOP PRODUCTION 



295 



The seedlings were harvested when they averaged near 300 mm. 

 in length, the periods of growth ranging from twenty-four to 

 thirty days and records for each seedling were made of its weight 

 (that of the original seed being deducted) and of lengths of hy- 

 pocotyl, first, second and third internodes and total length. 



The averages for the time required for the seedling to reach the 

 surface of the soil (emergence) are: flat 12.54 days, eye up 13.02 

 days and eye down 12.80 days. This shows that seeds placed 

 flat are a full half day quicker in breaking ground than when the 

 eye is placed uppermost. 



Table 1 shows the greatest viability for the position with the 

 eye down and least where the seeds are placed with the eye up. 

 The greatest vigor is associated with the fiat seeds, but the 



TABLE 1 

 Averages for the three positions in the soil for the combined six series 



Viability 



Vigor (green weight) 



Hypocotyl 



First internode 



Second internode. . . . 



Third internode 



Total length 



86.12% 

 8.98 gr. 



12.54 mm. 

 137.17 mm. 



97.43 mm. 



46.80 mm. 

 310.11 mm. 



EYE UP 



oi .uu/o 

 8.78 gr. 



11.63 mm. 

 137.6 mm. 



93.20 mm. 



35.80 mm. 

 292.11 mm. 



EYE DOWN 



87.22% 

 8.74 gr. 



12.96 mm. 

 136.88 mm. 



96.71 mm. 



49.56 mm. 

 317.83 mm. 



hypocotyl is longest where the seeds are planted with the eye 

 down. 



It is noted that the loss of hypocotyl length when the seeds 

 are with eye up, is balanced by the longer first internode, so 

 that the length from root juncture to the second node is prac- 

 tically the same for all three soil positions, but after that point 

 is passed, the seedlings from seeds planted with the eye up fall 

 behind the others. There is little choice between the flat and 

 the eye down position and therefore in field planting the ordinary 

 method seems satisfactory, namely to drop the seeds flat upon 

 the ground. 



Weight. Table 2 shows that the seed-weights vary much 

 with the numbers of seeds and with the position of the seeds. 



