32 



THE VITALITY AND GERMINATION OF SEEDS. 



])asi,s for comparinjr the relative mci'it.s of keeping seeds in open vessels 

 and in sealed bottles. 



Table IX will show the effect of the various methods of treatment 

 on the vitality of the seeds. 



Table IX. — Vitality of seeds when subjected to the action of a drij and a moist atinosj)herc, 

 both when exposed to free air and irJien confined in rjlass bottles, at relatively Jilyh, 

 temperatures, c 



Vitality of seeds when 

 liept in a dry atmos- 

 phere. 



Kind of seed. 



Begin- 

 ning of 

 experi- 

 ment. 



Bean Mar. 4 



Do ' .do.... 



Do I... do.... 



Do do.... 



End of 

 experi- 

 ment and 



date of 

 germina- 

 tion tests. 



Cabbage 

 Do .. 

 Do .. 

 Do .. 



Carrot. 

 Do 

 Do 

 Do 



Lettuce . 

 Do .. 

 Do .. 

 Do .. 



Onion . 

 Do 

 Do 

 Do 



.do. 

 -do. 

 -do. 

 .do. 



.do. 

 .do. 

 .do. 

 .do. 



..do. 

 ..do. 

 ..do. 

 ..do. 



.do. 

 .do. 

 .do. 

 .do. 



Apr. 4 

 May 12 

 May 24 

 July 22 



Apr. 4 



May 12 



May 24 



July 22 



Apr. 4 

 May 12 

 May 24 

 July 22 



Apr. 4 



May 12 



May 24 



July 22 



Apr. 4 

 May 12 

 May 24 

 July 22 



Dura- 

 tion 

 of ex- 

 peri- 

 ment. 



Days. 

 31 



m 



81 

 140 



31 



69 



81 



140 



31 



69 



81 



140 



31 



69 



81 



140 



31 

 69 



81 

 140 



Vitality of seeds when 

 kept in a moist at- 

 mosphere. 



In open bot-| In sealed 

 ties, at tern-; bottles, at 

 peratures I tempera- 

 varying tures vary- 

 from — ing from — 



30° to 

 32° 



P.ct. 



100.0 



97.5 



94.0 



2.3 



87.8 



71.6 



80.0 



0.0 



83.6 



69. B 



48.0 



0.5 



92.5 



38.0 



55.5 



0.0 



95.5 



68.0 



59.5 



0.0 



36° to 

 37°. 



30° to 36° to 30° to 36° to 



OOO O'TO OOO 0-70 



P.ct. 



44.0 

 0.0 

 0.0 

 0.0 



72.5 

 0.0 

 0.0 

 0.0 



29.5 

 0.5 

 0.0 

 0.0 



58.0 

 2.0 

 0.0 

 0.0 



45.0 

 0.0 

 0.0 

 0.0 



In open 

 boxes, at 

 tempera- 

 tures vary- 

 ing from — 



32°. 



P. ct. 



m. 



100.0 



98.0 



100.0 



86.5 

 67.5 

 89.0 

 84.0 



84.5 

 82.0 

 44.6 

 81.0 



91.0 

 42.0 

 6.5.0 

 82.0 



96.5 

 97.0 

 95.5 

 90.0 



37°. 



In scaled 

 bottles, at 

 tempera- 

 tures vary 



Ger- 

 mina- 

 tion 

 of 

 con- 

 trol 



ing from — sam- 

 ples. 



32°. 



P. ct. 



84.0 

 90.0 

 90.0 

 94.0 



84.0 

 87.9 

 92.0 

 83.0 



88.0 

 85.0 

 50.0 

 81.2 



86.6 

 38.6 

 68. 5 

 87.0 



93.0 

 96.0 

 94.0 

 92.0 



P.ct. 

 98.0 

 92.5 

 98.0 

 98.0 



83.5 

 79.0 

 92.5 

 88.5 



89.5 

 83.5 

 50.0 



7.S.5 



91.5 

 38.6 

 62. 5 

 81.5 



96.0 

 97.5 

 99.0 

 97.5 



87°. 

 I 



P. ct. 

 98.0 

 95.0 

 100.0 

 96.0 



86.9 

 78.5 

 92.0 

 86.7 



89.0 

 82.5 

 48.0 

 83.1 



90.0 



hi. 5 

 67.0 

 88.0 



97.6 

 93.0 

 95.0 

 94.7 



P.ct. 

 94.0 



98.7 

 98.0 

 99.4 



91.0 

 83.0 

 92.6 

 93.1 



92. 6 

 78.0 



64. 5 

 83.1 



90.0 

 31.6 



53. 6 

 79.9 



96.0 

 98.5 

 96.5 

 95.4 



fiA study of the table will show that the lettuce and carrot seed germinated very poorly at the end 

 of 69 and 81 days. This, liowever, was not due to any inherent ijuality of the seed, liui to an excess- 

 ive temperature at the time the tests were made. Both of these seeds require a comparatively low 

 temperature for their successful germination, lettuce germinating best at 20° C, and carrot at an 

 alternating temperature of from 20° to 30° C. 



The amount of moisture absorbed or expelled under the different 

 methods of treatment has an important l)earing- on the duration of 

 vitality and will be considered briefly at this time. Only the general 

 results will be disc ssed in this connection, inasmuch as later experi- 

 ments, carried out in a similar manner, show the detailed results to 

 much better advantage. Nevertheless, it requires only a glance at 

 the above table to show the marked difference in the germinative 

 power of seeds which have been stored in moist and in dry conditions. 

 The seeds which were exposed in a moist atmosphere to the higher 



