56 



REPOET OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



IS a very inviting field, and I trust it will be thorougbly investigated. I have no doubt 

 that a fe-w years of intelligent work of this kind will put us in possession of a cane 

 that will take the front rank among sugar-yielding plants. 



In II letter of a later date Professor Swenson maps out the proper 

 lino for work, as follows: 



(1) To increase the amount of cane sugar in the cane and diminish the percentngo 

 of other soluble solids; (2) to obtain a variety of cane that will ripen earl::>, so a.s'ro 

 give the lactories an early start; and (3) to increase the size of the stalL, its ability 

 to resist storms, and increase the yield. 



THE VITALITY OF SEEDS. 



"The vitality of seeds is determined by the length of time required to 

 disorganize them, as kept under ordinary circumstances. With care 

 as to dryness, and partial exemption from the effects of the oxygen of 

 the air, seeds remain vital for twice or three times the number of years 

 given in the table. Kept entirely from contact with the air and moist- 

 ure there is practically no limit to the length of time they may be kept 

 intact. As to the amount of cold which the seeds of plants will with- 

 stand without impairing their vitality, if dry, there is practically no 

 limit. More than twenty years ago a test of seeds submitted to a bath 

 of liquid sulphuric acid, rendered as cold as possible by artificial means, 

 showed that the germ was not destroyed by the process. When taken 

 out and sown in pots in the open air, they all germinated.- Those which 

 had been submitted to the severest cold germinated as readily and made 

 as good and healthy plants as those not submitted to this extreme test." 



Wheat and other cereal grains, if not injured by insects or damp, re- 

 tain their vitality perfectly three or four years, but seeds of the previous 

 year's growth are best. Grass seeds should not be depended ui)on for 

 more than one year. The proper rule to.be kept in view in the saving 

 of all seeds fpr great lengths of time is, first, perfect dryness, at a tem- 

 perature of not less than 100° nor more than 130°, then packed in paper 

 bags, inclosed in canvas sacks, and kept as near the freezing point as 

 possible, and at the same time in a dry atmosphere. 



Many years ago Cobbett, in England, experimented quite largely in 

 determining the duration of vitality in diiierent seeds. Considerably 

 later Vilmorin, in France, experimented in the same direction. The re- 

 sults of the two varied widely, so widely, indeed, that the planter to be 

 safe had best be governed by the lesser figures, except, possibly, in 

 case of the melon family, the seeds of which are not so good previous to 

 the fourth year as afterwards. We give the two lists as established by 

 these experimenters : 



Variety. 



Artichokes . . . 

 Asparagus ... 



Bean 



Lean (kidney) 



lieet 



liroccoli - 



Cabbage 



Carrot 



Canliflower .. 



Celery 



Com 



Cucumber.... 



Egg Plant 



Endive , 



Cobbett. VUmorin. 



Tears. 

 3 

 4 

 2 

 1 



10 

 4 

 4 

 1 

 4 



10 

 3 



10 

 3 

 4 



Tears. 



Variety. 



Kale 



Leek 



Lettuce.. 

 Melon.... 



Onion 



Okra 



Pea 



Pumpkin. 

 Eadish ... 

 Salsify ... 

 Spinacb .. 

 Squash... 

 Tomato .. 

 lomip'... 



Cobbett. iVilmovin. 



Tears. 



rears 



