284 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



thing approaching jealousy or ill-will, there should be co- 

 operation, and doubtless this will be secured. Planters and 

 seedsmen alil^:e must agree with the saying quoted by Pro- 

 fessor Nobbe, — 



" For sowing, the best is not too good." 



APPENDIX. 



NOTE I. — THE EARLIER STATEMENTS RESPECTING 

 MATURITY OF SEEDS. 



"It is wonderful that unripe, imperfect seeds should germinate : the 

 germinative power must be distinguished from other characteristics of 

 ripeness." — Theophrastus, De Causis Plantarum, lib. iv. cap. 4. 



" Seeds are ripe as soon as they can germinate ; although, from their 

 color, weight, and size, they may not appear to be ripe." — Gartner, 

 De Fructibus, ii. 1, cxii. 



" Unripe radish-seeds germinate after eight days : nevertheless, ripe- 

 ness is to be regarded a requisite for germination." — Lefebure, Expe- 

 riences sur la Geniiination, An. ix. p. 26, quoted in Flora, 1819, 407. 



" Seeds must be ripe in order to germinate : ordinarily they will not 

 germinate, if plucked before maturity. I have, nevertheless, seen germi- 

 nate green and tender pease removed from their green, soft pods. If 

 seeds rarely germinate before maturity, it is because the farinaceous 

 matter is neither sufficiently abundant, nor sufficiently perfected, to fer- 

 ment." — Sexebier, Phys. Veg., iii. 377, ii. 170. 



" Kurr asked at the Association, whether any facts were known re- 

 specting the germination of unripe grass-seeds. He had had wheat- 

 grains germinate, although they were hardly out of flower. 



'' The following conversation ensued : — 



" Professor Mohl of Berne remarked, that, in these cases, germination 

 takes place more quickly, because it is not necessary for the starch to 

 revert to sugar in such cases, and therefore the process is cut short. 



" Whereupon Dr. Kurr said that seeds which contain oil germinate 

 sooner in an unripe state. 



" Professor Kunze of Leipsic recalled the fact, that, in South Europe, 

 wheat, while still green, is harvested, and yet good grain is obtained; 

 and Chamberlain Waitz of Altenburg stated that the French rightly 

 criticised Germans for their too late harvesting. He had himself, on 

 one occasion, seen the unripe seeds of Convolvulus nil germinate. Dr. 

 Gartner of Calw called attention to the great differences in this respect 

 in different families. Grasses especially germinate earlier than others. 



" V. Martins of Munich stated, that, in Brazil, only the unripe seeds of 

 mangava (^Willughbeia speciosa) are planted, because of the belief that 

 the fruit raised from such seeds is better than that from ripe seeds." — 

 Kurr (of Stuttgart), Flora, 1835, 4. 



"' Before the appearance under a lens of the radicle and plumule, the 



