THE VITALITY OF SEEDS 23 



of other kinds may have entirely lost their power to germin- 

 ate. While the length of time a given kind of seed will retain 

 its vitality varies considerably and depends largely upon the 

 original strength of the seed and the conditions under which 

 it has been kept, the approximate lengths of time that 

 the various kinds of garden seeds may reasonably be ex- 

 pected to retain their germinative power are as indicated in 

 Table II. 



Table II. — Length of Time Seeds May he Expected to Retain their Vitality 



Years Years 



Asparagus o Mustard 4 



Bean 3 Okra 5 



Beet 6 Onion 2 



Cabbage 5 Parsley 3 



Carrot 4 Parsnip 2 



Cauliflower 5 Pea 3 



Celery 8 Pepper 4 



Com, Sweet 2 Pumpkin 5 



Cress 5 Radish 5 



Cucumber 10 Rhubarb 3 



Eggplant 6 Salsify 2 



Endive 10 Spinach 5 



Kale 5 Squash 5 



Kohlrabi 5 Tomato 4 



Leek 3 Turnip 5 



Lettuce 5 Watermelon 5 



Muskmelon 5 



Old seed should always be tested a short time before the 

 planting season, and if it does not show strong germinative 

 power it should be discarded and a fresh lot procured. If 

 only a small quantity of seed is needed, and a person does 

 not wish to go to the trouble of testing the old seed he 

 may have on hand, it is wiser to procure a fresh supply 

 each year than to run the risk of crop failure due to the use 

 of seed of low vitality; for seed may deteriorate much more 

 rapidly than indicated in the preceding table if the condi- 

 tions under which it is kept are unfavorable. The cost of 

 a new supply of fresh seed is insignificant as compared ^\^th 

 the value of the crop, and the first essential in the production 

 of any crop is good, reliable seed. 



