106 



reads: — " Perceptibly broken and/or entirely spoilt seed," etc., the phrase 

 Alight read as follows : — 



" Perceptibly broken seeds shoiald be taken out without exception, 

 « and entirely spoilt seeds only so far as they are clearly incapable of 



germinating." 



Judging from investigational work to date, we can^ therefore, only say 

 that, so far as B. Steglich's experiments are concerned, an indefinite amount 

 •of hard husked red clover seed germinates within a measurable space of 

 time (in Steglich's experiments, 17 months at the most), and a still smaller 

 amount thereof can yield useful plants. Analogous results were obtained 

 from Hojesky's similar field experiments. 



The most important positive result of general scientific and practical 

 importance in this question is Hojesky's ascertainment that, by a five days' 

 "warming of hard husked lucerne seed in dry soil during the summer, at 

 40° to 50° Celsius, hard husk entirely disappeared, and 50 per cent, dis- 

 appeared among kidney vetch. 



Investigation still remains to be carried out as to how various factors 

 affect the other varieties of clover, more especially prolonged storage at 

 ^ moist, low temperature, and the bad influence of varying temperature 

 .and moisture on the seed, as also of organisms found in the soil. 



What Hojesky writes as to the influence of the warmth of the soil on 

 hard husked lucerne and kidney vetch seed, goes to prove that other factors 

 fiersistiag over a lengthy period would also influence the seed. No experi- 

 anents on these lines have as yet been made. 



As, according to Hojesky's experiments, one quarter to one third of hard 

 husked red clover seed will eventually germinate, as also will 50 per cent, of 

 lucerne, there is justification for the Vienna station's decision to consider 

 these proportions of hard husked seed as capable of germination. Special 

 •experiments must establish how far this should be the case with other 

 -clovers, but, in any event, the question of this hard husked seed must not 

 be neglected or so treated that dealers in seeds should be allowed to settle 

 it in their own way. 



As regards broken seeds, it appears necessary to take out all par- 

 ticularly noticeable broken seed. Though this does not quite meet the case, 

 .the phrase is not liable to misconstruction. Broken germs in the germina- 

 tion bed shoulcl only be considered as having germinated if not more than 

 one cotyledon is missing, or if the broken rootlet is replaced by adventitious 

 roots by the final day. 



Professor Voigt (who was to have read the paper) gave a 

 summary, and made interesting comments upon it in EngUsh, 

 French and German. 



Mr. Lajferty took exception to the statement made in the 

 last paragraph of the paper to the effect that, if both cotyledons 

 are broken, the seed from which such a seedling arose should not 

 be considered as having germinated. At his station it had been 

 proved that even if both cotyledons were missing, provided the 

 bud was not broken, the seedUng could produce a plant in a few 

 cases. Dr. Voigt drew diagrams on a blackboard to illustrate 

 his point of view that germination in such cases depended on 

 the point of breakage. Both the last-named gentleman and 

 Mr. Dorph-Petersen were of the opinion that, where both cotyledons 



