PRESERVATION OF VITALITY. 271 



the Advancement of Science, consisting of Mr. Strickland, 

 Professors Daubeny, Henslow, and Lindley, was made in 1850, 

 after a very prolonged and careful investigation. They found 

 that seeds of Colutea germinated after forty-three years, and 

 of Coronilla after forty-two years. They ascertained that 

 seeds of twenty genera germinated after from twenty to 

 twenty-nine years, — Croton^ 3Ialva^ Hibiscus, Sida, Cor- 

 cliorus, Triumfetta, Pultencea, Crotalaria, Galer/a, Clitoria, 

 j^scliijnomene, Hedi/sarum, Phaseolus, DoUchos, Cassia, Cces- 

 alpinia, Tamarindus, Adenanthera, Cryptandra, Eucalyptus. 

 And the following preserved thek vitality from ten to 

 nineteen years, — Allium, Camassia, Pinus, Cucurhita, Jjur 

 pinus, Galega, Cassia, Oxyura, (Enothera, Clarkia, ten genera, 

 two of which were mentioned in the other list. 



Many interesting observations have been made during the 

 last fevi' years relative to the best conditions for preserving 

 the vitality of seeds unimpau'ed. As might naturally be 

 expected, the conclnsions agree in recommending that the 

 seeds be kept without access of air, and in a moderately cool 

 place. Under these circnmstances a slight amonnt of mois 

 tnre does not appear to be injurious; and it is probably on 

 this account that ensilage, or the burial of wheat in mass 

 deeply in soil where it cannot obtain sufficient oxygen for 

 germination, has been proposed. G. Thurel ^ has shown that 

 the seeds of many lands of plants can be preserved for at 

 least thirteen months under sea-water. Only two of these 

 are of agricultural interest, — medick and beet, and one 

 plant of the garden, celery. 



Besides the two considerations just mentioned, which 

 greatly affect the vitality and the worth of seeds, namely, 

 ripeness and freshness, we must mention one which is often 

 overlooked. Inherited vigor is a very important factor. 

 Last year I brought to the notice of this Board some of the 

 recorded observations in regard to the sterility of plants. 

 We then had occasion to observe that ovules may, in certain 

 cases, be so imperfectly fertilized as to form no embryo 

 capable of developing. In some of these instances the 

 seeds may attain a moderately large size, or may even 

 resemble good seeds in their external appearance ; but the 

 germ is practically left out. These worthless sorts are 



1 Biedermann's Centralblatt, 187G, Bd. 10, 154. 



