106 



Principles of Plant Culture. 



more than one year old, while those of the gourd family, 

 the tomato and celery often germinate well when ten 

 years old. . As a rule, oily seeds, as of Indian corn, rape 

 and sunflower, are shorter lived than starchy seeds, as 

 wheat and rice. The following table gives the average 

 period during which the seeds named are reliable for 

 germination, when properly cared for: * 



Duration of 

 Germinating Power. 



Average. Extreme. 

 Years. Years. 



Duration of 

 Germinating Power. 

 Av. Ext'm. 

 Yr. Yrs. 



4 or 



Artichoke 



Asparagus 



Bean 



Bean [Kidney.. 



Bean Soy 



Beet 



Borecole or Kale 



Broccoli 



abbage 



Cardoon 



Carrot 



Cauliflower 



Celery 



Chervil 2 or 



Chervil Sweet-scented. 



Chervil Turnip-rooted 



Corn Salad 



Cress American 



Cress Common Garden 



Cress Water 



Cucumber Common 



Eggplant 



Endive 



6 10 Gumbo or Okra ..................... 5 



5 8 Hop ......................................... 2 



6 10 Kohl-Rabi .............................. 5 



3 8 Leek ....................................... 3 



2 Lentils ................................... 4 



G 10 Lettuce ................................... 5 



5 10 Maize or Indian Corn ............ 2 



5 10 Melon Musk ........................ 5 



5 10 Melon Water ....................... G 



7 9 Mustard Black or Brown.. 4 

 5 10 Onion ...................................... 2 



5 10 Parsnip ................................... 2 



8 10 Parsley .................................... 3 



3 6 Pea ......................................... 3 



1 Pumpkin ............................... 6 



1 Rhubarb ................................. 3 



10 Salsafy .................................... 2 



5 Sea-kale .................................. 1 



9 Spinach Prickly-seeded ..... 5 



9 Squash .................................... 6 



Strawberry ............................. 3 



Tomato ................................... 4 



Turnip .................................... 5 



1 



1 



5 



3 



5 



5 

 10 10 



6 10 

 10 10 



166. Conditions Affecting the Duration of Seed Vitality. 



A uniform degree of humidity and temperature tends to 

 prolong the vital period of seeds, by causing little drain 

 upon the life of the living cells. Seeds deeply buried in 

 the ground are often capable of germination at a great 

 age, and kidney beans at least one hundred years old, 

 taken from an herbarium, are said to have germinated. 

 In these cases, the seeds were subjected to few variations 

 in humidity and temperature. 



From " The Vegetable Garden," Vilmorin, Andrieux & Cie, Paris. 



