48 THE VITALITY AND GERMINATION OF SEEDS. 



In order to answer the first question, dii|)licate samples of the various 

 kinds of seeds were put up in dou])le nianila coin envelopes, as 

 described on page 14. Likewise, duplicate samples were put up in 

 small bottles, the bottles being closed with good cork stoppers. Some 

 of the bottles were filled with seed, while others were only parti}" full. 

 In some cases there was a surplus air space five times as great as the 

 volume of the inclosed seeds. This space, however, had no bearing 

 on the vitality of the seeds as far as could be determined. 



In -order to determine what immediate external conditions play an 

 important part in the destruction of vitality, samples of seed, j^repared 

 as above described, were stored in different places." At each place 

 the}' were subjected to three different conditions of storage, which, for 

 convenience, have been designated as "trade conditions," "dr}' room," 

 and " basement," as described on page 14. In addition to these three 

 methods of storage, numerous other conditions were tried in and near 

 the laborator}'; such as in incubators at increased temperatures and with 

 var3"ing degrees of moisture, in cold storage, in greenhouses, and in 

 various gases, in vacuo, in liquids, etc. 



The third question, " What part do climatic conditions play in affect- 

 ing the life of seeds?" has been answered for the most part in a dis- 

 cussion on the effect of climate on vitality", page 13. In fact, the seeds 

 in the envelopes kept under trade conditions were the same in both 

 cases, being used here simpl}- as a means for comparing the vitality of 

 seeds when stored in paper packages and in bottles, as well as to show 

 the relative merits of trade conditions, dry rooms, and basements as 

 storage places for seeds. 



DISPOSITION OF THE SAMPLES.* 



A more definite description of the treatment given the seeds in the 

 various places may be summed up as follows: 



Smi Jiian^ P. M. — The seeds were sent to San Juan on February 9, 

 1900, and were returned on June 20, 1900, after a lapse of 131 days.*^ 

 At San Juan the seeds were stored under trade conditions only, and 

 the various packages were not removed from the original box in w^hich 

 they were sent. While in San Juan the box containing the seeds was 

 kept in a room well exposed to climatic influences, being protected 

 onl}^ from the direct rays of the sun and from rain. 



« San Juan, P. R. ; Lake City, Fla. ; Mobile, Ala. ; Auburn, Ala. ; Baton Rouge, La. ; 

 Wagoner, Ind. T. ; Durham, N. H., and Ann Arbor, Mich. 



^ The places of storage represented by trade conditions have already been described 

 for each of the localities, but it seems advisable to rewrite the descriptions here so 

 that they may be more readily compared with the dry room and basement conditions. 



cThe exact time that the seeds remained at San Juan was much less than 131 days, 

 the time of transportation being included, as has been done for the other ])laces. 



