38 



small quantity of air must have remained, sufficient- 

 for germinating the seed, but which in a short tim< 

 is insufficient for growth and the young plant soon 

 languishes and dies. 



At first heavy moisture does nol seem to hurt 

 germination, but if prolonged the plant is soon seen 

 to wither. Too great heat would prevent germi- 

 nation and growth : both heat and moisture must 

 be within the 'ordinary natural limits. 



Some seeds of plants retain their germinating 

 power for many years, others again lose it in 

 a very short time. Beet seed for example germi- 

 nates less quickly at the end of two years, and 

 becomes more and more slow until it at last loses this 

 power altogether. In this connection I will mention 

 what occurred to myself as an example which 

 those who intend to undertake the culture of the beet 

 may profit by : it happened in 1869 in Belgium. 

 I then managed a factory in the province of Hainaut 

 and had to supply seed to sow 600 arpents of land, 

 the contracting farmers being obliged by their 

 agreement to use only the seed furnished to them. 

 The quantity of seed required was about 8000 Ibs., 

 say 14 Ibs. per arpent, I had grown on account of 

 the factory the seed required ; but I had 200 Ibs. 

 remaining over from the preceding year which I 

 intended to supply to these farmers whose land 

 seemed more adapted to hasten germination, or 

 which were early ready for the seed. I was more- 

 over certain from experiments made that the seed 

 had in no way lost its germinating quality. But 



