EVIL EFFECTS OF WATER IN EXCESS. 233 



imder other circumstances, no attention requires to be paid. 

 AVhen the vital energies of a seed are diminished, it does not 

 lose its power of absorbing water, but it is less capable of 

 decomposing it. The consequence of this is that the free 

 water introduced into the system collects in the cavities of the 

 seed, and produces putrefaction ; the sign of which is the 

 rotting of seeds in the ground. The remedy for this is to 

 present water to the seed in such small quantities at a time, 

 and so gradually, that no more is absorbed than the languid 

 powers of the seed can assimilate; and to increase the quantity 

 only as the dormant powers of vegetation are aroused. One of 

 the best means of doing this is to sow seeds in warm soil toler- 

 ably dry; to trust for some time to the moisture that exists in 

 such earth and the atmosphere for the supply required for 

 germination ; and only to administer water when the signs of 

 germination have become visible ; even then the supply should 

 be extremely small. If this is attended to, carbonic acid is very 

 slowly formed and liberated ; the chemical quality of the con- 

 tents of the seed is thus insensibly altered^ each act of 

 respiration may be said to invigorate it, and by degrees it wiU 

 be brought to a condition favourable to the assimilation of food 

 in larger quantities. Mr. Knight used to say that these effects 

 were produced in no way so well as by enclosing seeds between 

 two pieces of loamy turf, cut smooth, and applied to each 

 other by the underground sides ; such a method is, however, 

 scarcely applicable to any except seeds of considerable size. 



"It will happen at times that small seeds, such as Cabbage seed, 

 Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, &c., do not come away after they are sown, 

 during dry and waim weather. Last spring, some of my crops failed 

 in the first sowing. About a month after the regular time for sowing 

 these seeds, a few drills were made in moist peat, and in the drills was 

 put some guano, to cover which peat-mould was also used. The seeds 

 were afterwards sown, being chiefly Broccoli, Cabbages and Iceland 

 Greens. After they were sown and covered up, the heat stUl continued ; 

 the surface of the peat became as dry as tinder, and would have burned 

 if fire had been applied to it. However, the seed that was .sown 

 vegetated freely, the plants grew lapidly, and were as fit for planting 

 out at the proper time as the few that jemained of those that had been 

 sown a month before,. Another great advantage attended those that 



