— 213 — 



stances cam 3 from oKlest seeds, in others from the newest, and in 

 others from those of intermediate ages. All this variation is evi- 

 dently due to heredity of the individual seeds, or to conditions of 

 growth of the immediate parents, rather than to age of seeds. 

 The following summary of figures obtained from cucumbers may 

 be taken as an indication of results in other species : 



The ratios in the last column are obtained by taking the short- 

 est average growth as i, and dividing the other averages in the 

 same variety by this number. In the first variety, Long Green, 

 the shortest vines grew from 1884 seed and the longest from 1886 

 seed. In the Short Green, the shortest growth was from the most 

 recent seed and the longest from the oldest .seed, while in the Early 

 Cluster the result is reversed. 



TESTS OF A PATENT GERMINATOR. 



A "New Preserver and Germinator of Cereals and Seeds of 

 All Kinds," through the use of which there are to be " no more 

 short crops" and which gives " absolute assurance of perfect and 

 complete germination and an increase in yield of more than twenty- 

 five per cent.," is sent out by F. P. Dimpfel, 60 Broadway, New 

 York. The compound is evidently organic. It is apparently 

 designed primarily for use upon cereals, but in virtue of the fact 

 that it is adapted to ' ' seeds of all kinds, ' ' it was tried upon vari- 



