SEEDS. 
371 
SENECIO. 
in a cireular form, and piercing the 
bottom with holes with a large pin 
or darning-needie. When it is de- 
termined to separate the seed from 
the seed-vessels, instead of putting 
up the whole tegether, the vessels, 
after gathering, may be dried in the 
sun; when*many of the seeds will 
come out by the expansion of the 
seed-vessels in the heat, and the re- 
mainder can easily be rubbed out. 
This is the usual practice of nursery- 
men. For keeping seeds a lady 
ought to have a small cabinet, which 
she might form herself of paste- 
board, with as many drawers as there 
are letters in the alphabet; and as 
her seeds are put up in papers, she 
can tie the packets or each genus 
by themselves, and put them in the 
appropriate drawer. Where so much 
trouble cannot be taken, a large 
brown paper bag, or a canvass bag, 
for each letter of the alphabet, may 
be substituted. 
The period during which seeds 
will retain their vegetative powers 
differs in different families, genera, 
and even species. Seeds of the 
Ranunculacee and the Crucifere, 
will, in general, retain their vitality 
for several years, in whateyer man- 
ner they may be kept ; provides the 
situation be not such as will cause 
them to germinate. 
hand, seeds of the Capsicum will 
keep for several years if retained in 
the berry, but will seldom grow the 
second year when removed ‘rom it. 
As a safe general guide, it may be 
adopted as a rule, that all seeds will 
keep three years, and grow, provided 
fhey are retained in an unopened 
seed-vessel; that most seeds, if ma- 
turely ripened, and kept in a dry 
place in close paper packets, will 
grow the second year ; and that all 
seeds whatever, whether kept in the 
seed-vessel, or exposed in open 
drawers like those of the seedsmen, 
will grow the first year after being 
gathered. Mignionette seed will keep 
On the other 
seven years ; but that of Stocks and 
Wall-flowers will not remain good 
more than two years, unless kept in 
the pod. Sweet Peas and Lupines 
will with difficulty keep two years, 
while the seeds of the Prince’s 
Feather, and of Poppies, will keep 
several years. Larkspur seed will 
seldom grow after the second or 
third year. Notwithstanding the 
length of time which some seeds 
will keep, it is generally advisable 
to sow them as soon after they are 
ripe as practicable, as fresh seeds 
always vegetate much sooner than 
old ones. 
SELPHEAL.—See Prune'La. 
Sempervi'voum. — Crassuldcee. — 
House Leek. Succulent plants, the 
most beautiful of which are natives 
of the Canary Islands, and require 
to be kept in the greenhouse. They 
should be grown in sandy loam, 
mixed with lime rubbish, and the 
pots should be well drained. They 
require very little water, except 
when about to flower; and they are 
propagated by cuttings, which must 
be laid to dry for some days before 
they are planted. When potted, 
they should neither have any water, 
ner be covered with a glass ; but 
they may be plunged into a bed of 
tan or dead leaves. The hardy 
kinds are very suitable for rockwork, 
and are increased by suckers from 
the roots. 
Sene‘cio.—Composite.— A very 
extensive genus, including many 
plants which are guite worthless, 
such as the commen British weed 
called Groundsel (S. vulgaris) ; 
many showy garden-flowers, such 
as the Jacobea, or Purple Ragwort 
S. élegans) ; and even some hot- 
ouse and greenhouse shrubs. Of 
these one of the handsomest garden- 
flowers is the double purple Jacobza, 
which is a native of the Cape of Good 
Hope. It difters from the commen 
British Ragwort (S. Jacobea), the 
flowers of which are yellovy, not 
