ON THE EFFECTS OF CERTAIN FUNGICIDES UPON THE VITALITY 



OF SEEDS. 



A. A. Crozier. 



The influence of various chemicala upon the germination of seeds is 

 but little understood. Many which have a fertilizing elfect when ap- 

 plied in small amounts to the growing plant are injurious when a strong 

 solution IS applied to the seed. There is evidence, on the other hand 

 that many substances when applied to the seed will hasten germination 

 and increase the vigor of the young plants. An account of some of 

 these IS given by Prof. L. H. Bailey, in Bulletin 31 of the Michigan As- 

 ricultural College. 



The following experiments were made with blue vitriol and copperas 

 at the Iowa Experiment Station in 1889 : 



First, a rough test was made with a strong solution of blue vitriol, a 

 teaspoonful in half a saucer of water. Corn was soaked in this twenty- 

 four hours, and another lot soaked in pure water the same length of 

 time, and both lots planted in soil in the greenhouse May 11. Exami- 

 nation was made daily with the following results, the figures showing 

 the number of plants which had appeared above the soil on the given 

 dates, 100 seeds of each having been planted : 



The above table shows that the treatment with blue vitriol prevented 

 the germination of some of the seeds and greatly retarded the germi- 

 nation of most of the others. Many of the plants from the seeds treated 

 with the blue vitriol came up feeble, with leaves which appeared as 

 though scorched. On June 7, a part of these plants had become 

 healthy, but they were as a whole much smaller than those from the 



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