SEEDS WEEDS. 357 



rizes the century's advaiu-e in the improvement of garden vegetables, fruit, flowers, 



and ghiss house?. The increase in gardening Uterature and societies is also noted. 



Tlie century book of gardening; a comprehensive work for every lover of 



tlie garden, E.T.Cook {Xew York: Charles Scribncr's >So)ts, I'JOO, ]q>. XIII-^610). 



SEEDS— WEEDS. 



Influence of chemical solutions upon the germination of seeds, G. E. Stoxe 

 and R. E. Smith {Masnachnxettx ,St((. Rj,t. WOO, jip. 74-83). — The authors have been 

 studying for some time the effect of various chemical and physical agencies upon the 

 germination of seed, the object l)eing to determine to what degree seeds could be 

 accelerated in their germination, and also to what extent their germinating capacity 

 could be increased. In the present report the effect of treating seeds with solutions 

 which are known to exist in many seeds, such as diastase, pepsin, trypsin, asparagin, 

 and leucin, was tested. Strengths of these different ferments or enzyms, varying 

 from 0.1 to 2 per cent, were tested upon a number of seeds. The seeds were first 

 soaked for about 12 hours in the solutions, after which they were rinsed and placed 

 in genninating chambers. With the seeds treated with as[)aragin solutions, the 

 average increased germinations were obtained as follows: Alfalfa, 10.6 per cent; 

 rape, 20.8 per cent; Canada field peas showed no improvement, both normal and 

 treated seed germinating 100 per cent; buckwheat, 10.6 per cent gain; serradella, 

 19.8 per cent gain. In the experiments with leucin solutions the following average 

 gains were noted: For treated buckwheat seed, 9.2 per cent; alfalfa, 7 per cent. 

 Experiments with pepsin solutions gave 13.3 per cent increase for treated crimson 

 clover seed, and 15.6 per cent for cucumber seed. In the experiments made with 

 diastase solutions, black barley seed treated gave an increased germination of 7 per 

 cent, and upland rice 11.5 per cent. In a number of the experiments the authors 

 experienced considerable trouble from the presence of various molds. This was par- 

 ticularly true in experiments in which the seeds were treated with diastase solutions. 

 The results o])tained are briefly conmiented upon, and the conclusion reached that 

 the study of the effects of amids and ferments and other accelerating factors upon 

 seeds offers a promising field for further investigation. 



The effect of age and length of sprouts upon the vitality of seeds, J. H. 

 Shepperd and E. G. Schollaxdek [North Dakota Sta. Epf. 1900, pp. 101-113). — Tabu- 

 lated results of these experiments here presented show that of 1-year-old wheat 

 the vitality varied from 73 to 100 per cent, being in the majority of cases over 90 per 

 cent. Of a sample of 2-year-old goose wheat 97 per cent germinated. Two samples 

 of wheat taken from sheaves saved from the crop of 1895 gave 98 and 100 per cent of 

 sprouted kernels. Of a sample of 8-year-old wheat only 3 per cent germinated. 

 Buckwheat 7 years old showed a germination of 84 per cent. Tests were made with 

 sprouted w^heat from the crop of 1900 and in every case the sprouted seed was weak- 

 ened, but the authors conclude from the results that seeding 5 per cent heavier with 

 the wheat tested would have given a normal stand. An experiment to determine 

 what length of sprouts w^heat may have and regerminate was made with sprouted 

 kernels of ^Minnesota No. 163 wheat. The grains were sprouted and allowed to grow 

 for different lengths of time, making the first sprouts 7 days older than the last. After 

 si)routing the kernels were taken from the germinator and thoroughly dried. The 

 radicles and plumule were measured and the grains again placed in the germinator. 

 The results indicate that sprouted wheat will regerminate and form healthy sprouts 

 until the stem or plumule is | in. long and that an average of 80 per cent will reger- 

 minate if the length of the stem or plumule does not exceed J in. Stock and bin- 

 burned wheat gave an average germination of 62.4 per cent, or too low for seeding 

 purposes. Corn 6 years old wliich had remained upon the cob until tested required 

 104(»t>— No. 4 5 



