The Gathering and Storing of Seeds. 103 
portant that seeds be dried promptly after gathering, for if 
mould once starts, subsequent drying may not destroy the 
fungus, but it may resume growth as soon as the seed is 
planted, thus enfeebling or destroying the embryo before it 
has time to germinate. Drying by moderate artificial heat 
(not higher than 100° F.) is wise with seeds necessarily gath- 
ered in cold or damp weather. 
Oily seeds, as of Indian corn, sunflower, and the cabbage 
family, (cabbage, cauliflower, kohl-rabi, ruta-baga, rape, 
turnip, mustard) cannot safely be stored in bulk in large 
quantities, except in cool weather. 
Seeds are much shorter-lived in warm than in cold cli- 
mates. 
The most satisfactory method of preserving seeds in 
quantity is to inclose them in bags of rather loose texture, 
and of moderate size, and to store these in a cool, dry and 
airy apartment. 
168. Age of Seed as Affecting the resulting Crop. 
Seeds grown the same or the preceding season produce, as a 
rule, more vigorous plants than older seeds. They may not, 
however, in all cases, produce plants that are most product- 
ive of fruit or seed, for excessive vigor is generally opposed 
to reproduction. Cucumber and melon plants grown from 
seed three or four years old are often more fruitful than 
those from fresh seeds. In crops grown for parts other 
than fruit or seed, fresh seeds are undoubtedly preferable, 
but in crops grown for seed or fruit, it may be doubted if 
fresh seed will always give as large returns as seeds of some 
age. This subject needs further investigation. 
169. How Drying Seeds Affects their Vitality. The 
vigor of seeds is probably never increased by drying them, 
