CHAP. III. SEEDS. 53 



garden for his pea-seed, he should make sowings, the produce of 

 which is to be reserved exclusively for seed. 



THE STORING OF SEED. 



One point of great importance is, that, before gathered, the 

 seed be fully developed and perfectly matiire. When this is 

 attended to the preservation of its vitality, under the most 

 trying circumstances, is quite astonishing. An instance where- 

 of may be seen in the length of time tnat it will remain un- 

 harmed even in sea-water, as stated by Mr. Darwin : " Until I 

 tried, with Mr. Berkeley's aid, a few experiments, it was not 

 even known how far seeds could resist the injurious effects of 

 sea-water. To my surprise I found that out of eighty-seven 

 kinds sixty-four germinated after an immersion of twenty-eight 

 days ; and a few survived immersion of a hundred and thirty- 

 seven days." * Of the intense degree of heat they have the 

 power of withstanding I once too had a notable proof. A small 

 tin-box of seeds of annuals was sent me from England. On 

 opening it I found that the heat of the soldering-iron had 

 scorched to a dark -brown colour several of the paper packets in 

 which the seeds were put ; whence I concluded that the seeds 

 must of necessity have been destroyed: on trial, however, I 

 found them not in the least injured, as they germinated freely. 

 An instance, again, of their capability of remaining long without 

 taking harm, alternately in a dry and wet condition, may be 

 witnessed in what takes place every year in most gardens in 

 this country. The seeds of several of the European annuals, 

 such as Larkspur, Mignonette, Phlox, Petunia, Sweet-pea, &c., 

 will fall when ripe, and lie for some two or three months ex- 

 posed to the influence of a baking sun, and then for the three 

 or four months of the rains which follow remain embedded in 

 the swampy soil ; and yet afterwards, on the arrival of the Cold 

 season, germinate and spring up vigorously. 



There is one thing, however, which it should be well borne 

 in mind seeds cannot endure, and that is sour damp. There is 

 no way of destroying them more certain than to place, them in 

 a situation where they are exposed to a constantly humid, un- 

 ventilated atmosphere. In Bengal, few seeds of any kind 



* ' Origin of Species,' p. 358. 



