1846.J Soaking of Seeds in Saline Solutions. 93 



the others, grew vigorously. Precisely the same result was pro- 

 duced on the corn planted in a field by one of my neighbors, who 

 soaked his seed in an amraoniacal solution, as long as recom- 

 mended in some of the newspaper statements on this subject. 

 Scarcely one spear in a hill ever made its appearance; although 

 the quality of seed was known to be good before soaking. In 

 reference to the melon seeds, there was a slight difference in favor 

 of the saline solutions, provided the soaking was not continued 

 more than twenty-four hours. With the oats there was a still 

 greater difference, even when the soaking was continued ten or 

 twelve hours longer. From my own experiments, and the results 

 I observed from the experiments of others, the following conclu- 

 sions may be safely drawn. 1st. That seeds with only a thin 

 covering or epidermis, like wheat^ rye, corn, peas, beans, &c., are 

 no more benefited by soaking in saline solutions than in water; 

 and that if they are soaked too long positive injury is the result. 

 2d. Seeds having a thick covering or husk, as oats, barley, me- 

 lon seeds, &c., are benefited by soaking in proportion to the 

 amount of the saline matter the husk is capable of retaining. 

 But even in these cases, if the soaking is continued lonw enough 

 to fully impregnate the germ itself with the solution, injury is 

 done. 



This is just w^hat sound reason, w'ithout any experiments, 

 would teach us. For the substance of every seed or germ is natu- 

 rally composed of just such materials, and in just such propor- 

 tions as are most favorable to healthy germination, whenever the 

 requisite degree of heat and moisture is applied. And not only 

 so, but all these saline solutions are antiseptics. That is, they 

 tend to prevent decay, or change, in the particles of matter to 

 which they are applied. But we well know that no seed can 

 germinate or grow, until a species of decay or change in the con- 

 dition of its particles commences. Hence, we contend, from rea- 

 son as well as experiment, that when the substance of seeds of 

 any kind is impregnated with such solutions, their germination or 

 growth is actually retarded, and sometimes destroyed. But when 

 the seed is enclosed in a husk, like oats, this husk may serve as a 



