THE GENESEE FARMER. 



125 



i it otherwise, all seedsowing might be reduced to 



e rules, and tables like the following, for which we 



ged to a correspondent, would be the best advisers 



eners. 



> contains ia^oz, 7,754 seeds; in 1 lb., 24S,12S seeds. 



" % oz„ 4S5 " " 15.520 " 



ge " "X oz-> <M 93 " " 143,776 " 



«■ >ioz 1.S33 " " 120,5^2 " 



! " "1 oz., 1,950 " " 81,200 « 



e same manner the quantities of seed in a lb. 

 might be stated. The number of plants required 

 d acre of ground is as follows : 



.inch apart... 6,272,640 ■ 



I " 1,568.100 



i « ' 696.960 



u ' ■ 392.H40 



i « " " 250,905 



; « 174,240 



jfore, 1 lb. of turnip seed, if every seed would 

 rould be sufficient for nearly an acre and a half of 

 •et seedsmen recommend 4J lbs. to be used for that 



y be alleged that those who sell seeds are interest- 

 eading their customers to purchase as much as 

 b, and that no inference can be properly drawn 

 ich a case as that just mentioned. Supposing it to 

 and making every degree of allowance for that 



it still remains evident that the quantity of seed 

 d for a given space can not be determined by fixed 

 but that so many adverse influences are in action 

 :nder miuute calculations worthless, and to compel 

 sioti to a large amount of waste. In the case just 

 i it is assumed by the seedsman that only about two 

 l thirteen will come to anything— a "ery large loss 



be confessjd. Matters being in this state, theo- 

 quantities can only mislead. 



rder to judge what is the real germinating power 

 mple of seed, it is the practice among the princi- 

 dsmen to have " trial books," in which the.y record 

 •centage of seed which grows under the following 

 stances. A hundred seeds are sown in a garden 

 ed with fine, light soil ; the pot is placed in a gen- 

 bed, and as soon as the young plants have fully ap- 



they are counted. If the seed is wholly good, the 



is 100 ; if good only in part, it may be any lower 

 r — we will say 50. In that case, as only half grows, 



require two lbs. to do the work of one. This is a 

 Id practice, and seems at first sight to be uuexcep- 

 e; nevertheless it is far from being so good as it 

 It is well known that in earth constantly warm 

 ,mp, seeds having very feeble vital power will grow 

 ctorily, and soon gain vigor from the surrounding 

 jhere; but in cold soil they lie and perish. Now 



hardy seeds are committed to the ground at that 

 f the year when even at midday its temperature is 

 ove 43°, and when at night the thermometer may 

 32°. Under such conditions, which are wholly un- 

 lose of the " trial " pots, the same result can not be 

 :ed. If indeed our open gardens were like Miss 

 g's plant-cases, and as carefully looked atter, very 

 y seeds would come up ; but as the circumstances 

 itirely different both as to temperature and skill, 

 ady's success would be no evidence of what would 

 n in the open air. 

 ertheless we believe the trial system to be by far the 



best that seedsmen can employ, and if it deceives them it 

 is because it can not be otherwise, in the nature of things. 

 We all know how loud and ceaseless are the cries of 

 gardeners as well as amateurs that the flower seeds they 

 purchase will nofgrow. It never seems to occur to the 

 complainants that they themselves are the executioners 

 and the seeds their victims. And. yet we are perfectly 

 certain, from nearly half a century's experience, that such 

 is the case. Seeds of a plant inhabiting a dry country 

 with little winter's cold and a genial, early, steady spring, 

 are sown here in the open border in March or April; there 

 they lie in most uncongenial soil, exposed to wet and 

 cold. But the force of life is strong within them, Nature 

 will have its way, germination begins some bright sunny 

 day, after which comes an ice cold dew at night, and the 

 young embryo is rendered torpid. Nevertheless, weak- 

 ened as it is, the succeeding day sees a renewed effort at 

 growth — followed by renewed torpidity. The same alter- 

 nation of paralysis and revival goes on for a little while, 

 till at last the powers of nature are exhaus'ed and the 

 seed expires. Now, these early efforts are out of sight ; 

 no eye watches the struggle, the seeds die while buried — 

 and the seedsman is abused. Mignonette often affords a . 

 striking example of this. Although a native ot the hot 

 sandy regions of Northern Africa, where it is a little 

 woody bush, it nevertheless is able to ripen its seeds in 

 our northern latitude. But when the time for sowing 

 them arrives in spring they are cast carelessly upon the 

 cold (ground, and there they perish. Then come com- 

 plaints — "Mr. Flowerdew," exclaims tbegeutle Lucy Bell, 

 who is devoted to flowers, and who has been looking for- 

 ward to the delights of « charming bed of Mignonette, 

 which will not come, "it is very tiresome indeed, that 

 youf seed never will grow — it is really quite shameful;" 

 and then she sees in the pits a great quantity of beautiful 

 pots of the plant, 4 or 5 inches high, standing as close as 

 quills on a hedgehog. " Why look there, I declare you 

 have sold me bad old seed, and kept the good yourself!" 

 " Madam, I assure you that I have but one sort of seed, 

 of which you have had a part." " Well ! it is most ex- 

 traordinary." At last the gentle damsel buys as many 

 pots as she requires, but at the same time remains per- 

 fectly convinced that she was cheated in her seed. Should 

 this meet her eye it is to be hoped that she will be more 

 charitable in future, and blame herself for having des- 

 troyed the lives she had thought to cherish. 



Depend upon it, ladies, the blame of your ill success in 

 getting up your seeds lies at no other door than your own. 

 Sow them when the weather has become warm ; cover 

 them at night with a screen, or constantly with a thin 

 coating of nice, neat straw, such as the market gardeners 

 raise their spring radishes under, and you will incur no 

 further disappointment. Or, if you have them, hand 

 glasses will do as well. 



A Common Mistake in Raising Bdlbs. — All bulbs feel 

 extremely any dryness after their growth has once set in 

 in earnest. It is quite discouraging to have tulips and 

 crocusses going out of bloom too fast. When this is the 

 case, it will be often found, on examining the soil, that it 

 is too dry, for the quantity of water absorbed and tran- 

 spired by bulbs is something quite astonishing, and a good 

 watering will often renew the blooms— give them, as it 

 were, a new lease of life, 



