30 Principles of Plant Culture. 



ticularly if they have been allowed to become dry, are 

 generally soaked in hot water until swollen, before 

 planting, otherwise they might lie in the ground for 

 months and even years before germinating. In treat- 

 ing such seeds with hot water, unless the temperature 

 at which they 'swell is known, the water should be 

 heated very gradually until the seeds begin to swell, 

 when it should be maintained at that temperature until 

 they are fully swollen. It is said that seeds of the honey 

 locust may be immersed for a time in boiling water with- 

 out destroying their vitality, but such treatment is not 

 to be recommended for any seeds. In seeds of this class, 



36. Germination is sometimes Hastened by Cracking 

 or Cutting Away part of the Seed-Case. To favor the 

 absorption of water, nurserymen often drill or file a 

 hole through the bony seed-cases of nelumbium seeds, or 

 crack dry peach and plum pits in a vise or with an im- 

 plement resembling a nutcracker (27cZ). 



37. Seeds may Fail to Germinate from a variety of 

 causes, even when exposed to the proper degree of 

 warmth, moisture and oxygen. They may be too old 

 (164), they may not have been sufficiently mature when 

 gathered (162), they may have become too dry (168), 

 they may have been subjected to freezing before sufii- 

 eiently dry (166), they may have been stored while 

 damp and thus subjected to undue heating, or they 

 may have been damaged by insects or fungi (321) 

 either before or after maturity. Defects of these kinds 

 are not always visible, hence 



38. Seeds should be Tested before Planting to learn 

 if they will germinate. It is unnecessary to plant 



