58 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



ing to deplh of planting, until at 6 inches tho proportion is reduced to oue-eightli of 

 thii (junntity sowu in twenty-three days. 



Ou the Oilier hand, when rye grass is sown and simply harrovred in, it germinates 

 without exception in five dayw. A tolerably largo number of seeds come up slowly, 

 and even with difficulty; they are generally those which have a thick, tongh skin. 

 In this case it is a good plan to soak the sample in hot water, 167° to 185° F., for 

 tweuty-foni' hours. Noi cuing, if performed with care, so as not to injure the embryo, 

 assists germinatifin. Planted in the usual way, such seeds will lie dormant one or two 

 years. Seeds of the palm nsnally grow very well on damp sawdust, the germinating 

 end downwards and kept in a damp, warm atmosphere. The spores of ferns and the 

 seeds of orchids, which are very minute, come up rapidly if placed on peat in a pan of 

 water. 



The frequent failure of garden seeds may be ascribed to too deep planting in a soil 

 too dry. I^eriectly hardy annuals are best sown late in the autumn or very early in 

 I be, spring. > 



Wantol success with seeds may booftener attributed to bad management than to bad 

 seeds. Tilt) success of seedlings raised under frames depends principally upon the 

 i(!gulat ion of moisture. 



It is laiovvn,too, that the seeds of those plants bear more female flowers than younger 

 plants, tliat is to say, the pl.ants arc raoro prolillc than tlioso raised from seeds gath- 

 ered in a cold season and planted shortly after they have ripened. Good seeds of tho 

 melon and gourd lose weight as thoy grow old; at first they will sink in water and 

 by tho sixth year half of them will iloat without having become bad. We conclude, 

 therefore, in this case as in many others, that trial by water is not a sure test. 



SUBSTANCES AFFECTING- THE ' GERMINATION. 



M. Yogel, of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences, found that a mini- 

 mum of carbolic acid was sufficient to kill every trace of geriiiination. 

 He says : 



Among those most injurious in this respect are dilute acetic acid and carbolic acid, 

 although the substances may bo present in very small percentage. Solutions of hy- 

 drocyanic acid, arsenic, xihosphorus, «fcc., were found to bo much less injurious in the 

 same proportion than those first mentioned. This, explains the unsatisfactory nature 

 of experiments for the destruction of insects ou plants by means of solutions of carbolic 

 acid, tho insects, it is true, being killed by a very weak solution, while at tho same 

 time the plants themisclves rarely survive. 



CHANGING SEED. 



In the issue of the Corn Miller of March 5, 1885, 1 find the following 

 pertinent suggestions : 



Changing seed has long been practiced by farmers with excellent results, it often 

 being attended with a largely increased crop. All farmers aro acquainted with tho 

 fact that if some kinds of seed aro not changed the crop will soou run out. This 

 fact is true of grains, but applies to a larger extent to garden vegetables. For in- 

 stance, the onion seed of Connecticut is imported from Tripoli and grows well there 

 for one or two crops, but if tho cultivation is long continued from the original seed, 

 tho onions soonare only of the size of acorns. Again, potatoes grow well in Louisi- 

 ana, and as far south as the Bermudas, if the seed is taken there from a cool climate 

 each year. Heavy oats, taken from the cool, moist climate of Canada and Northern 

 Europe and grown in tho Northern or Middle United States, will produce a better 

 yield the Crsc year than if grown ou their native soil. Ono reason, and the principal 

 one, for these iacts is, that every plant has a native region which is limited in extent, 

 and that when an attempt is made to grow it out of that range it soon deteriorates 

 and reo^uires to bo renewed from seed gro\vn in its native range. This is particularly 

 true of sea island cotton, seed of which has been planted in every cotton-growing 

 soil in the world, -but which rapidly degenerates and can only be grown away from 

 its native region by tho constant use of fresh seed. 



These peculiarities of varieties of plants is what has brought tho business of grow- 

 ing seeds to so large proportions. Another reason why the change of seed is often 

 beneficial to the farmer is, that the diseases which alUict our crops and the insects 

 which prey upon them ji refer some varieties to others, and the diseases or insects will 

 become more abundant in the localities where the varieties they most prefer are most 

 cultivated. If, then, a new variety be introduced, ono which is no bettor in any way 

 than the other, only in so far as it is less subject to tiio ravages of insects, there is ad- 

 vantage to be derived from tho change. 



