14 VITALITY OF BURIED SEEDS. 



respectively. These differences arc more clearly shown in Plate I, A 

 and B. 



The results above stated, while perhaps not altogether conclusive, 

 inasmuch as they represent only single tests of 2(J0 seeds in each case, 

 show that seeds of these two plants will not remain vial^le for long- 

 periods when buried in the soil. 



This is particularly interesting in the case of the common cheat or 

 chess, which is frequently a pernicious weed in the grain fields of the 

 United States. The generally accepted opinion is that the grains of 

 cheat will live in the soil for a number of years, the seeds germinating 

 when conditions are most favorable, the resulting plants then crowd- 

 ing out the wheat. Some people even hold that in "off' seasons" 

 wheat turns to cheat, but fortunately such erroneous ideas are fast 

 disappearing. 



The results of these experiments show that cheat, whenever found 

 growing in grain fields or elsewhere, has come from seed recently 

 sown and has not been lying dormant in the soil. With but few 

 exceptions the unexpected appearance of cheat comes either from 

 seeds that have been sown unintentionally mixed with wheat or other 

 grains so that they passed unobserved, or from seeds that have been 

 scattered with stable manure. 



Dr. Beal^' has also shown that buried seeds of Bromus secalinus do 

 not retain their vitality for a long period of years. In BeaFs experi- 

 ments the first test was at the expiration of five years, but not a single 

 grain of cheat responded to the germination test at that time. 



Table II includes the majority of our more commonly cultivated 

 plants of the field or garden, all of which failed to show any seeds 

 capable of germination after having been buried in the soil for 

 approximately one year. This statement will hold good for the major- 

 ity of our cultivated plants. There are, however, a number of excep- 

 tions. Many of these will l)e found in Table III, some showing that 

 vitality was remarkably well preserved. Of these celery, parsnip, and 

 tobacco (numbers 94, 95, and 99, respectively) should be mentioned in 

 particular. The highest germination in each case was 64 per cent for 

 the celery from the 18 to 22 inch depth, 63 per cent for the parsnip 

 from the 36 to 42 inch depth, and 70 per cent for the tobacco from 

 the 18 to 22 inch depth. 



" Bulletin No. 5, Michigan Agricultural College, 1884. 



