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136 



The Florists^ Review 



May il, 1922 



HOW LONG CAN A SEED LIVE? 



(Ciiiicliulc'd fiDiii imu'c '.I').) 



Since that time seeds have been ex- 

 posed to the temperature of liquid 

 liydrogen (-250° C.) without deleterious 

 results. Some contend that this proves 

 the seeds must necessarily be in a state 

 of static equilibrium, since all chemical 

 change must be in abeyance in such 

 extreme cold. On the other hand, it is 

 believed by many that any change 

 would only be indefinitely retarded by 

 the low temperature. 



Seed Coats Impervious to Moisture. 



Plants resort to various expedients 

 to prevent their means of perpetuation 

 1h rough seeds being destroyed by heat, 

 drought or excessive moisture. As a 

 general rule, the thinner and more per- 

 meable the seed coat the shorter-lived 

 the seed, although sometimes the seed 

 coat may be relatively thin and yet im- 

 pervious to moisture, as in the case of 

 the garden pea. Again, the long life 

 of the seed may be due to the excessive- 

 ly hard or the abnormally thickened 

 seed coat, and germination may not 

 take place for several years after the 

 seed has been exposed to favorable con- 

 ditions. At one time a machine was de- 

 vised which, by means of an air blast, 

 forced closer seeds against rough iron 

 plates, and these, by scratching the 

 seed coats, rendered "them all equally 

 permeable to moisture, and germination 

 was more or less simultaneous. Still 

 another method has been to submerge 

 hard-contcd seeds in strong acid, cer- 

 tain kinds being capable of standing 

 this treatment for several hours without 

 injury. Germination is thus secured 

 within a reasonable length of time in- 

 stead of requiring years. 



An interesting instance of the adapta- 

 bility of plants to meet special condi- 

 tions is found in Nelumbium speeiosum, 

 the sacred lily of India, the seeds of 

 which, if sown as soon as ripe, ger- 

 minate under water in less than a 

 month. Should the seeds once get hard 

 by being removed from the water, it is 

 almiist impossible to br(>ak them, and 

 yc.-irs may ]iass without germination un- 

 less tlie coat has been scratched or filed. 

 Wlien this is done, however, and mois- 

 ture admitted, they will gejminate with- 

 in twenty four hours. The value to the 

 plant of "such a seed is that, sliould the 

 ]iond in wliich it is growing dry up and 

 the seed fail to fall into water, it can 

 lie (lonnant awaiting a return to its 

 natural a(|uatic habitat. It is interest- 

 ing to note in tliis connection that seeds 

 of nclumbium have retained their vital- 

 ity for the longest period authentically 

 determined thus far. Robert Brown, an 

 English botanist of the early part of 

 the nineteenth century, records that 

 seeds of nelumbium were sent by Sloan 

 to tlie botanical department of the Brit- 

 ish Museum. A hundred and fifty years 

 afterwards he found them in the orig- 

 inal l)oxes in which they had been trans- 

 mitted. Brown himself succeeded in 

 germinating these seeds, and there 

 seems no reason to doubt the accuracy 

 of his account. At the present time 

 this stands as the record for the longev- 

 ity of seeds, and, owing to the nature of 

 tlie iieluiubium seeds, it is reasonable to 

 suj)pose that they might retain their 

 \iability for such a jieriod. However, 

 in the case of wheat and similar seeds 

 supposed to have lived thousands of 

 years, no credence is to be attached to 

 the sensational assertions as to their 

 longevity. 



Seasonable Stock 



READY NOW 



PETUNIAS, Single, Giant Ruffled and Rosy Mom, 2-inch, $5.00 per 100, 

 $40.00 per 1000. 



HELIOTROPE, Jersey Beauty and Florence Nightingale, good purples, 

 2j4-inch, $5.00 per 100, $45.00 per 1000. 



ASPARAGUS SPRENGERI, 2J4-inch, $5.00 per 100, $45.00 per 1000. 



ASPARAGUS PLUMOSUS, 2J4-inch, $5.00 per 100, $45.00 per 1000. 



BEGONIAS, Gracilis Luminosa, Prima Donna, Erfordii, Superba and 

 Mignon, 2j4-inch, $5.00 per 100, $45.00 per 1000; Metallica, Argenteo- 

 Guttata, Sandersonii and Albo-Picta, 2^-inch, $8.00 per 100. 



BUDDLEIA ASIATICA, 2i^-inch. $5.00 per 100. 



COLEUS, standard varieties, 2j4-inch, .$4.00 per 100, $35.00 per 1000. 

 Brilliancy, 2j4-inch, $7.00 per 100. 



FUCHSIAS, Black Prince, Avalanche, Mrs. E. G. Hill, Speciosa, 2H-inch, 

 $5.00 per 100: 3-inch. $10.00 per 100; 4-inch, $20.00 per 100. 



FERNS, Boston and Teddy Jr., 2J4-inch, $6.50 per 100, $60.00 per 1000. 



GERANIUMS, Mme. Salleroi, 2j4-inch, $5.00 per 100. 



PLUMBAGO, Capensis and Capensis Alba, 3-inch, $15.00 per 100; 4-inch, 

 $25.00 per 100. 



SNAPDRAGONS, giant flowered, separate colors, 2-inch, $5.00 per 100, 

 $45.00 per 1000. 



SANTOLINA INCANA, grand for carpet bedding, 2-inch, $5.00 per 100, 

 $45.00 per 1000. 



THE STORRS & HARRISON CO. 



PAINESVILLE, OHIO 



Godfrey Aschmann's Spring Stock 



We are offering this year a fine and large stock of Spring Foliage 

 and Bedding Plants, all in good condition and at reasonable prices. 



Ferns, Snottil and Teddy Jr., 5V4-inch 



pots, 60 cts. each. 

 I'alma, Kentia Forsteriana and Belmore- 



ana. fine stock, 4-tnch, 60 eta.; 5-lnch, 



$1.25. 



Bird's-Nest FernB, he.-ivy .-.%-inch. $1.00 



each. 

 Dracaena FraRrans, ln-avy .'i-inch, 7T> cts. 



each. 

 Kiibhrr Pliints, heavy 4-lnch, 50 cts. 

 AHparasruH riumosus, heavy 4-lnch, S17.00 



per 100. 

 Dracaena Indlvlsa, heavy stock and very 



scarce, Ti-inch, 50 cts.; O-inch, 75 cts. 



and $1.00 each. 

 Tradescantias. 2 'A -inch, $0.00 per 100. 

 Hardy KnKlish Ivy, 2 plants in a 2V4-inoh 



pot. $(!.0I) per 100; 3-inch, $12.00 per 



100; 4-inch, staked up, $25.00 per 100. 

 GeraniuniH. We have a fine stock of 



healthy plants of A. Ricard and B. 



I'oittvino, 4-inch. $1S.00 per 100; S. A. 



Nutt and Mme. Buchner, white, 4-lnch, 



$17.00 per 100. 

 BeRonias, fine, heavy stock in bloom of 



I.umlnosa. Prima Donna and Vernon, 



4-lnch, $17.00 per 100; 3-lnch, $10.00 



per 100. 

 Scarlet Sage, America and Bonfire, 4-lnch, 



$1,-|.00 per 100; 3-inch. $7.00 per 100. 

 CannaA, Kingr Humbert, Yellow KinK 



Humbert and The President, strong 4- 



inch. $17.00 per 100. 

 Heliotropes, heavy plants, dark blue, 4- 



inch, $1.'5.00 per 100. 

 .Ageratum, new dwarf variety. 4-lnch, 



.<!.-.. (Ml per 100; 2Vi-inch, $6.00. 

 Vinca Varlerata, 4-lnch, $20.00 per 100. 

 I.antanas, best varieties, 4-inch, $15.00 



por 100. 



H.vdranKeas. all the beat French and 

 Otaksa varieties, full of buds, for 

 spring planting, 6-inch, 75 cts.; 7-inch, 

 $1.00 each. 



Coleus. These are very scarce but we 

 have a fine and large stock of them; 

 Verschaffeltll, Golden Bedder and 

 Queen Victoria, 2V4-inch, $.").00 per lOo; 

 Brilliancy and other fancy varietie.", 

 2<4-inch, $6.00 per 100; 4-inch, $17.00 

 per 100. 



Calendula Prince of Orange, 3-lnch, $8.00 

 per 100; 4-lnch. $I.'-).00. 



We also have a tine stock of 2 'i -inch 

 plant.<i at $5.00 per 100, such as Pe- 

 tunias, Rosy Morn and Inimitable: 

 Sweet Alyssum Little Gem; Vertienas, 

 4 best colors; I.,ol>ella Emperor Wil- 

 liam; Dust.v Millers: Dwarf French 

 MurlKolds; Phlox, best colors mixed. 



Ipomoea Noctiflora, Godfrey Asch- 

 mann's well known pure white, 

 fragrant Moon Vines bearing flow- 

 ers as large as a saucer, 2>4-inch, 

 $6.00 per 100; 4-inch, staked up, 

 .flS.OO per 100. 



Jerusalem Cherries, in the following 

 varieties; Cleveland, Holly Berry and 

 Orange Queen, 2H-inch, $5.00 per 100. 



Snapdragons. We have a fine and large 

 stock of strong plants which will be 

 ready about May 20, pinched back in 

 the following varieties: Keystone, Nel- 

 rose. Silver Pink, Giant Yellow and 

 Giant White. 2U-inch, $6.00 per 100; 

 $55.00 per 1000. 



Tomatoes, strong 2 "^ -inch ,Tnhn Haer. 

 Earliana and Stone, $3,00 per 100. 



Our Terms are cash with order. No plants are shipped C. O. D. Add 5% for pack- 

 ing. .Ml plants shipped at purchaser's risk. All plants will be shipped out of pots 

 unii ss otherwise instructed. 



GODFREY ASCHnAI!IN,ioiow.ent.ri.st.. Philadelphia, Pa. 



