2 Alfred J. Ewart : 



bore an 1856 watermark, and on reference to Kew. Dr. Prain 

 considered the 1850 to be probably an error for 1856. On fur- 

 ther investigation it was found that when the University of 

 Melbourne was founded, Baron von Mueller sent these seeds to 

 Prof. McCoy for the University garden, but as the garden was 

 not ready the seeds were placed on one side and replaced later by 

 fresli sendings. The original 1856 sets of seeds became subject 

 to Prof. McCoy's remarkable powers of collecting and storing 

 material, and remained unopened and untouched in a dry, airy, 

 dark cupboard, shielded completely from vermin, until the Uni- 

 versity's 50-year Jubilee in 1906. 



These seeds were tested at first in soil, but this was soon found 

 to be unsatisfactory. Subsequently all were soaked in water 

 after counting, hard seeds specially treated to make them swell, 

 and then placed on filter paper in glass dishes kept in a 

 germination chamber. The elaborate methods used by Becquerel 

 are less satisfactory than a daily inspection of the material, and 

 renewal of the filter paper or washing whenever necessary. All 

 the seeds were, before being finally rejected as non-germinable, 

 tested by crushing or hand-lens examination. Prior to this they 

 were exposed to lis'ht and to a raised temperature of 30-40 deg. 

 C. for some time, whereas during the early period of each test 

 every batch of seed was approximately at a temperature of 25 deg. 

 C, and in feeble light or darkness. 



About 200 sets of 10-year-old seeds were obtained from Mr. 

 Maiden, and Mr. Baker, of Sydney, and from Prof. Stirling, of 

 Adelaide. The remainder came from the National Herbarium, 

 either from dated specimens or from stored dated seed which 

 had been used in the past for exchange purposes. A total of 

 nearly 3000 tests were made, although many, being made in 

 duplicate, appear once only in the alphabetical lists. With these 

 are incorporated all the previous records I could find, so that 

 these could 1)6 verified or corrected, as might be the case, and 

 the list made as comprehensive as possible. In addition the list 

 includes a number of observations by Darwin, Berkeley, Ciglioli, 

 Duvel and others on the resistance of seeds to sea-water, and to 

 other injurious agencies or conditions, including burial in the 

 soil since these are factors in longevity. 



