32 



THE VITALITY AND GERMINATION OF SEEDS. 



basis for comparing the relative merits of keeping seeds in open vessels 

 and in sealed bottles. 



Table IX will show the eifect of the various methods of treatment 

 on the vitality of the seeds. 



TABLE IX. Vitality of seeds when subjected to the action of a dry and a moist atmosphere^ 

 both when exposed to free air and when confined in glass bottles, at rdatlrely hitjh 

 temperatures. a 



a A study of the table will show that the lettuce and carrot seed germinated very poorly at the end 

 of 69 and 81 days. This, however, was not due to any inherent quality of the seed, but to an excess- 

 ive temperature at the time the tests were made. Both of these seeds require a comparatively low 

 temperature for their successful germination, lettuce germinating best at 20 C., and carrot at an 

 alternating temperature of from 20 to 30 C. 



The amount of moisture absorbed or expelled under the different 

 methods of treatment has an important bearing on the duration of 

 vitality and will be considered briefly at this time. Only the general 

 results will be discussed in this connection, inasmuch as later experi- 

 ments, carried out in a similar manner, show the detailed results to 

 much better advantage. Nevertheless, it requires only a glance at 

 the above table to show the marked difference in the germinative 

 power of seeds which have been stored in moist and in dry conditions. 

 The seeds which were exposed in a moist atmosphere to the higher 



