AGRICULTURAL TEXT-BOOK. 



been end&amp;lt; avoring to decide the question whether grains will germinate 

 before they are fully ripe ? The last writer on the subject, M. Duchar- 

 tre, Professor of Botany in the Agronomic Institution of Versailles, has 

 made many very complete experiments, with satisfactory results. We 

 are only able to give here a summary of the truths be arrived at. 



1. The grains of the cereals are able to germinate, il harvested at least 

 twenty to twenty-five days before maturity, or complete ripeness, al 

 though the germ is yet very imperfect. 



2. Such seeds require a longer time to sprout than those quite ripe, if 

 sown immediately without drying. 



3. The same proportionate number of seeds will grow in both cases, 

 with the exception, perhaps, of barley. 



4. Seed* imperfectly ripened germinate much more surely if they are 

 well dried before sowing. In this case they sprout as oon as perfectly 

 ripe seeds. It would appear that seeds harvested in an unripe slate- are 

 able to mature themselves if kept for some time, the embryo being 

 nourished and developed at the expense of the moisture and albumen. 



5. In practice, there need be no fear as regards sowing seeds of the 

 cereals cut a long time before maturity, but the threshing should be de 

 ferred as long as possibla 



6. Where the crop is large and laborers scarce, the harvest may be 

 commenced much earlier than is usual, without any fear of injuring* tho 

 grain. 



7. The plants grown from seeds gathered twenty-five days before 

 ripening, and allowed to dry for seven weeks, so far from being weak 

 and inferior, were remarkable for their vigor, and on the whole no dif 

 ference in this respectcould be perceived in favor of well ripened gnin. 

 It would be well to make a scries of similar experiments in Americans 

 practically, it is a very important subject. 



