PROPAGATION 55 



and those that sink selected- for sowing. A practical test is to cut 

 or break open a certain percentage of the seeds ; if in good con- 

 dition the interior of the seed will present its natural and cheesy 

 consistency. The surest test of vitality, however, is to sow a small 

 representative quantity under the most favourable circumstances, 

 as in specially prepared pots or beds under shelter. The proportion 

 of seeds which thus germinate bears to the number sown, will afford 

 proof of the quality of the seed. For testing very small seeds, they 

 may be placed between wet blotting paper or damp cloth. It is a 

 good plan when seeds are of doubtful quality to soak them in hot 

 water previous to sowing ; very often this may add 20 to 30 per 

 cent, to the number of seedlings which would otherwise be obtained. 



Acclimatized seed. This term is applicable to seeds of any 

 introduced and acclimatized plant, but in India it refers to European 

 annuals and vegetables which thrive sufficiently well to produce 

 good seed, capable of yielding satisfactory crops. In that country 

 it has been found that in some cases such seeds give better results, 

 at least for a time, than imported seeds. Though certain flowering 

 annuals produce good seeds in the hill districts of Ceylon, no one, 

 so far as I am aware, finds it worth while to save seed of European 

 vegetables grown here. As a general rule, cultivation in the tropics 

 has a deteriorating effect on the quality of all flowering plants and 

 vegetables from temperate climates. Therefore imported seeds 

 and fresh strains usually give the best results, and these are easily 

 procured fresh from England or Australia. 



Seeds of Aquatic Plants (water-plants), such as Xcluinbiiiiii, 

 Xymphirn, Victoria regia, etc., should be sown in pots submerged 

 in shallow water. The pots should be raised on bricks, or such 

 like supports, so as to bring them close to the water surface, thus 

 securing greater warmth from the sun's rays than if placed deeper. 

 Shallow still water is always the warmest. 



Fern Spores should be sown upon tine sandy loam in well 

 drained pots or pans. The spores should be gathered before the 

 spore-cases have burst, and be sown at once, the soil being well 

 watered before the spores are scattered over the surface. The 

 pans or pots should then be stood in saucers of water, and a pane 

 of glass placed over the top until the spores have vegetated. 

 Instead of separating the spores from their cases (sporangittws), 

 fragments of matured fronds may be laid on the surface of the 

 prepared soil, when the spores will fall out themselves. Neither 

 covering of soil nor watering is required, it being sufficient to 



