164 Experiments upon Swedes. 



it would be extremely useful if by some means or other the 

 germination of the seed could be hastened, and the rapid growth 

 of the young turnip plant promoted. The idea of dressing 

 seed with various fertilizing matters is not a new one. Several 

 attempts of applying manure to the seed instead of to the land 

 have been made, and the most preposterous advantages resulting 

 from seed-manuring held out by certain men, whose interest it 

 was to sell comparatively cheap fertilizing matters at an enormous 

 profit. These attempts, as might have been expected, have 

 proved complete failures. I allude to these attempts of manuring 

 and steeping the seed, because I do not wish to be suspected of 

 entertaining for a moment the idea, that the system of seed- 

 manuring is based on rational principles. My sole object in en- 

 gaging in the subjoined experiments, was to ascertain if, by any 

 chemical means the germination of the turnip-seed could be 

 promoted, and to collect additional evidence respecting the effect 

 of ammoniacal manures on the germination of seeds. 



Witli this object in view, I made the following experiments 

 with new Norfolk-bell turnip-seed. 



Xo. 



1. 100 seeds were soaked for 20 hours in distilled water, containing 2 per cent. 



of sulphuric acid (S Og, H 0). 



2. 100 seeds were soaked for 20 hours in distilled water, containing 1 per cent. 



of sulphuric acid (S O3, H 0). 



3. 100 seeds were soaked for 20 hours in distilled water, containing 5 per cent. 



of suljihuric acid. 



4. 100 seeds were soaked for 20 hours in distilled water, containing 2 per cent. 



of sulphate of ammonia. 



5. 100 seeds were soaked for 20 hours in distilled water, containing 5 percent. 



of sulphate of ammonia. 



6. 100 seeds were soaked for 20 hours in 3 oz. of distilled water and i oz. 



bone-ash dissolved in sulphuric acid (the same of which an analysis is 

 given above). 



7. 100 seeds were soaked for 20 hours in 3 oz. of distilled water and 1 oz. 



of bone-ash, dissolved in sulphuric acid. 



8. 100 seeds were soaked for 20 hours in 3 oz. of distilled water and J oz. 



of Peruvian guano. 



The seed prepared in this way was sown on the 15th of May, 

 1857, in garden-mould in flowerpots. On the same day were 

 sown also in flowerpots — 



9. 100 seeds with § oz. of superphosphate, made by dissolving fine bone-dust 



in 50 per cent, of brown acid. 



10. 100 seeds with J oz. of bone-ash, dissolved in acid (the same sample 



used in the other experiment). 



11. 100 seeds with 1 oz. of bone-ash, dissolved in sulphuric acid. 



12. 100 seeds with h oz. of Peruvian guano. 



13. 100 seeds with ^ oz. of Peruvian guano, mixed with 1 oz. of soluble silica 



rock, finely powdered. 



14. 100 seeds with i oz. of sulphate of ammonia, mixed with J oz. of powdered 



soluble silica rock. 



