LONGEVITY 73 
parts of the United States have shown that seeds do not live as 
long in the warm moist air of the Southern states as they do in 
the cool dry air of the Northern states. 
In the following table compiled from various sources is given 
the time beyond which it is not advisable to use the seeds men- 
tioned unless the contrary is shown by germinative tests. 
Years. Years 
COED 26 hhh eho ieeten 2 Mustard........... 3 to 4 
Wheat.............. 2 Cabbage........... 3 to 4 
Oats 2) in oe kiesdeat wees 2 Turpips............ 3 to 4 
Barley............-- 2 SWedes-sci4 dassessscve 3 to 4 
FRY Oh a pcneracnnee teas eens 2 Pumpkin........... 5 
Buckwheat.......... 2 Melon (musk)...... 5 
Beans (common). .... 4to 5 Melon (water)...... 5 
Pea 8: esgic eatasy ed ete 4to5 MI GQUASI eo ms jane aid gene 3 
COV EDS ns-:c, cha ceersaeas 2 to 3 Tomato............ 6 
Alfaltars 23 tce shanti: 3 to 4 Timothy........... 1to2 
ONION. peso hag eee 1 Celery............. 1 
In some cases perfect seeds well stored may have more than 
double the longevity given in the above table. Thus Sturtevant 
obtained 100 per cent germinaticn of various varieties of Corn 
after being stored 5 years. Tomato seeds 
14 years old have been known to give a 
high percentage of germination. On the 
other hand, using the same seeds as an 
example, both Corn and Tomato seeds 
are sometimes unfit for use when only 
1 year of age. These varying results em- 
phasize the importance of testing the 
germinative power of seeds before use. 
The variation in the longevity of the pig 79 4 chaapritue: 
seeds of a given lot is obvious when the nifier well adapted for use 
percentages of germination for different in analyzing seeds. The 
periods of storage are compared. The ™agnifier is set over the 
decrease in the percentage of germination pie leaving the hands 
; i ree to separate the seeds 
as the length of the storage period in- 4. one looks thrawih the 
creases shows that some seeds die early magnifier from above. 
and others later until finally all are dead. 
In the following table are given the results of an experiment 
to determine the rate at which vitality is lost as indicated by the 
percentage of germination obtained in each of the 6 years of 
storage. 
