CHAPTER IV. 



VITALITY OF WEED SEEDS. 



FROM very early days the length of time that seeds retain their 

 power of germinating and forming new plants has been of in- 

 terest to those engaged in husbandry. Even Theophrastus 

 (about 322 B.C.) recorded that most seeds remained alive for 

 more than three years, and that at Patra, in Cappadonia, seed 

 was said to remain fertile and fit for sowing for forty years. 

 In those days the differences in the behaviour of seeds of the 

 same species in this respect was attributed to the situation, and 

 seeds in elevated places exposed to plenty of wind and sun 

 were supposed to keep longer than others. Nowadays the 

 differences are attributed more to the conditions of storage than 

 to anything else, and it is realised that temperature, moisture 

 in the air and in the seed, the composition of the surrounding 

 atmosphere, and various other factors all play their part in 

 determining how long a seed will live. 



Popular superstition, fostered by the reports of the germina- 

 tion of " mummy " wheat, attributes a marvellous longevity to 

 seeds. Strict inquiry and experiment, however, shows that 

 authentic seeds from the ancient sepulchres and pyramids will 

 not germinate, the seeds obtained from such situations which do 

 grow having been proved to be frauds inserted by the Egyptian 

 fellaheen for the sake of gain. In all other cases in which 

 very old seed is reported to have germinated doubt has been 

 thrown on its authenticity. 



With a view to ascertaining the approximate time that 

 seeds may be expected to live under conditions of dry storage 

 a British Association Committee l carried out a series of ex- 

 periments with over 200 very varied species of plants, incl tid- 

 ing a number of common wild plants and farm weeds. The 

 range of years is well shown by the following table : 



1 Strickland, H. E., Daubeny, Henslow, and Lindley (1850, 1857), " Reports 

 of a Committee Appointed to continue their Experiments on the Growth and 

 Vitality of Seeds," Rep. Brit. Ass., Adv. Set., No. 20, pp. 160-168 ; No. 27, pp. 

 43-56. 



72 



