GERMINATION OF PACKETED VEGETABLE SEEDS. 



table shows the relative germination of the-box and mail-order seeds, 

 the average germination of box seeds for four years being lower for 

 every kind than the average germination of mail-order seeds in 1911. 

 The difference in germination between box and mail-order seeds of 

 the same variety varies from 2.3 per cent for parsnip and 3.3 per cent 

 for spinach to 2S.5 per cent for cabbage and 29.5 per cent for onion. 



Table 1Y.— Average germination, by hinds, of vegetable seeds tested, 1907 to 1011. 



Kind of seed. 



Box seeds. 



l'J07 



Bean 



Limaboan 



Cabbage 



Carrot. 



Cauliflower — 



Sweet corn 



Cucumber 



Lettuce 



Musknielon 



Onion 



Parsnip 



Garden pea ... 



Pumpkin 



Radish 



Spinach 



Squash 



Tomato 



Turnip , 



Watermelon. . 



Average 



Per cent. 

 84.5 

 91.5 

 50.9 

 46.1 

 5S.5 

 72.6 

 ()9. 3 

 7;).7 

 60.3 

 46.4 

 20.8 

 75. 4 

 05.1 

 70.8 

 62.5 

 60.0 

 68.9 

 69.8 

 63.6 



1908 



1909 



1910 



Per 



cent. 

 83.0 

 70.0 

 53.3 

 44.4 

 62.4 

 64.9 

 69.3 

 75.3 

 59.0 

 46.2 

 24.8 

 63.4 

 62.3 

 70.1 

 62.2 

 51.6 

 66.9 

 73.5 

 62.0 



63. 



62.9 



Per cent. 

 70.4 

 57.1 

 44.1 

 46.7 

 50.8 

 59.6 

 66.5 

 75.0 

 47.0 

 43.1 

 30.2 

 74.6 

 58.6 

 67.7 

 51.4 

 54.5 

 66.5 

 67.1 

 58.7 



59.1 



Per cent. 

 71.4 

 69.6 

 41.8 

 42.7 

 51.1 

 62.4 

 55.5 

 72.7 

 54.5 

 34.7 

 12.1 

 47.3 

 59.3 

 72.7 

 52.1 

 44.5 

 65.0 

 58.0 

 57.7 



Average. 



55.6 



Per cent. 

 77.8 

 71.6 

 47.4 

 44.9 

 56.4 

 64.8 

 65.7 

 74.9 

 55.2 

 43.1 

 22.6 

 60.1 

 61.2 

 72.0 

 57.5 

 52.3 

 66.8 

 67.3 

 60.5 



Mail- 

 order 

 seeds. 



1911 



Per cent. 

 86.7 

 70. 3' 

 75.9 

 55.0 

 76.8 



&3. 

 76. 



60.5 



(I. 



72. 



24. 



79.6 



73.4 



79.9 



60.8 



64.8 



79.4 



75.2 



74.4 



77.5 



BOX SEEDS OF HIGH AND LOW VITALITY. 



Figure 2 shows by kinds the average germination for four years of 

 box seeds put up by the two firms whose seed was most commonly 

 found for sale. The average germination of the seeds put up by one 

 of these firms was 73.7 per cent, while the average germination for 

 the other firm was 42.8 per cent, a difference of 30.9 per cent. The 

 average germination of the seeds put out by each of them was nearly 

 uniform from year to year, the greatest difTerence between any two 

 years for one firm being 3.1 per cent and for the other 2.8 per cent. 

 While the quality of the seeds sold by the two firms is so different, 

 each has its own standard of vitality and adheres to it closely. 



VARIATION IN GERMINATION OF LETTUCE SEED. 



Table V gives a comparison of the highest and lowest percentages 

 of germination of lettuce seeds i)acketed by several firms putting up 

 box seeds. It shows a wide dill'erence in the germination of packets 

 of the same kind of seed put out by the same firm in a given year. 



[Cir. 101] 



