Longevity of Seeds. 191 



dormant in the soil durinp: part, at least, of the prowth of the 

 forest. 



I have, in fact, found Acacia seeds deeply buried in the soil 

 of Gum forests, where no other signs of their presence could be 

 seen, and '.vhere no other Acacias were present within at least a 

 mile. In addition, the following data may be given of the num- 

 ber of terminable Acaoia seeds per 2-inch cube of soil found at 

 various depths under old Acacias growing in undisturbed 

 primeval bush. 



Number Ver 



,'-erininalile cent. 



y4c(7aa dealbata - - 3 in. - 28 - 2G - 93 



13 - 77 

 10 - 63 



9 - 82 ■ 



3 - 100 

 ^. sfriaa - - - 4 „ - 1 - 1-100 



2 - 100 



- 



A. leprosa - - - 6 „ - 28 - 24 - 86 



14 - 93 

 A. ffie/afioxy/on - ' - 4 ,, - 11 - 10 - 91 



4 - 80 

 2 - 100 



A. longifolia - - 6 „ - 2 - 2-100 

 var. mucronata - 16 ,, - - - 



A. verticillata - - 4 „ - 32 26 - 81 



4 - 80 

 4 - 100 



A scjuare pole of such soil would in the top 18 inches, in 8(une 

 cases, contain sufficient germinable seed to stock several square 

 miles of territory, so that the amount of margin jdlowed for 

 accident is very great, and even a very low percentage germinar 

 tion would suffice to re-cover the soil with the original vegetation 

 after the severest bush fire. The percentage germinations are 

 high, because as soon as the seed becomes permeable in the 

 course of time and swells, it either germinates or dies, so that 



