REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS OF PLANTS. 307 
Results of the Use of long-kept Seeds,—The fact that old 
seeds yield weak plants is taken advantage of by the florist 
in producing new varieties. It is said that while the one- 
year-old seeds of Ten-weeks Stocks yield single flowers, 
those which have been kept four years give mostly double 
flowers. 
In case of melons, the experience of gardeners goes to 
‘show that seeds which have been kept several, even seven 
years, though less certain to come up, yield plants that 
give the greatest returns of fruit; while plantings of new 
seeds run excessively to vines. 
Unripe Seeds.—Experiments by Lucanus prove that‘ 
seeds gathered while still unripe,—when the kernel is soft 
and milky, or, in case of cereals, even before starch has 
formed, and when the juice of the kernel is like water in 
appearance,—are nevertheless capable of germination, espe- 
cially if they be allowed to dry in connection with the stem 
(after-ripening.) Such immature seeds, however, have less 
vigorous germinative power than those which are allowed 
to mature perfectly; when sown, many of them fail to 
come up, and those which do, yield comparatively weak 
plants at first and in poor soil give a poorer harvest than 
well-ripened seed. In rich soil, however, the plants which 
do appear from unripe seed, may, in time, become as vig- ~ 
orous as any. (Lucanus, Vs. St, IV, p. 253.) 
According to Siegert, the sowing of unripe peas tends to 
produce earlier varieties. Liebig says: “The gardener is 
aware that the flat and shining seeds in the pod of the 
Stock Gillyflower will give tall plants with single flowers, 
while the shriveled seeds will furnish low plants with 
double flowers throughout.” 
Dwarfed or Light Seeds.—Dr. Miller, as well as Hell- 
riegel, found that light grain sprouts quicker but yields 
weaker plants, and is not so sure of germinating as-heavy 
grain. 
