COMPARISON OF METHODS OF STORING AND SHIPPING. 47 



into strong and healthy plants. True, most enterprising gardeners 

 usually have vitality tests made immediately preparatory to planting, 

 but this is not always convenient, and they rely on the results of tests 

 made at some earlier date. In such cases it quite frequently happens 

 that they accept the results of tests made several weeks earlier. With 

 many seeds this will suffice, yet there are many others that will dete- 

 riorate very materially within a few weeks or even within a few days 

 in such unfavorable climates as exist, for example, near the Gulf of 

 Mexico. In a letter dated January 15, 1903, Mr. J. Steckler, of New 

 Orleans, La., wrote as follows concerning the vitality of seeds: 



Some seeds are not worth being planted after being here three months. This is 

 especially true of cauliflower seed. We have made repeated tests and this seed after 

 remaining here 90 days was worthless and had to be thrown away. 



SHIPPING SEEDS IN CHARCOAL, MOSS, ETC. 



Bornemann a made some experiments with seeds of Victoria regia 

 and Earyale ferox, in which he found that when packed in powdered 

 charcoal they soon lost their vitality, but when packed in powdered 

 chalk slightly better results were obtained. On the other hand, 

 Dammer 6 recommends powdered charcoal as a method of packing for 

 seeds that lose their vitality during shipment, especially the seeds of 

 palms and a number of the conifers. 



Charcoal is undoubtedly much better than moist earth or moss, 

 which are frequently used, the latter affording abundant opportunities 

 for the development of molds and bacteria during transit. Some such 

 method as moist charcoal is necessary in case of seeds which lose their 

 vitality on becoming dry. Numerous other reports have been published 

 from time to time concerning the shipping of seeds of aquatic plants, 

 as well as those of low vitality, but they need not be discussed further 

 at this time. 



NATURE OF THE EXPERIMENTS. 



Aside from some popular accounts and miscellaneous suggestions, 

 but little has been done toward finding improved methods of shipping 

 and storing seeds of our common plants of the garden and field. 

 Accordingly, in February, 1900, a series of experiments was under- 

 taken to determine some of these factors, in which three questions 

 were considered: (1) How may small quantities of seeds be put up so 

 as to retain a maximum germinative energy for the greatest length of 

 time ? (2) What immediate external conditions are best suited for the 

 longevity of seeds? (3) What part do climatic conditions play in 

 affecting the life of seeds ? 



Gartenflora, 35. Jahrg., 1886, pp. 532-534. 

 &Ztschr. trop. Landw., Bd. I, 1897, No. 2. 



