Preservation of Seeds. 373 



general, the pods, or capsules, should be cut off, with a small 

 portion of the stalks attached, and the whole should be spread 

 out, each kind by itself, on papers, in an airy room, from 

 which rain, and the direct influence of the sun, are both ex- 

 cluded. When the seed vessels are thoroughly dried, they 

 may be put up in papers, without separating the seeds from 

 them, and kept in a dry place, rather airy than close, till 

 wanted for sowing. Seeds preserved in the seed-vessel, no 

 doubt, make packages clumsy in comparison with those of 

 seeds from which every covering has been separated ; but in 

 this clumsy state, they are found to keep better than when 

 cleaned. Nevertheless, when they are to be sown the follow- 

 ing year, or sent anywhere in a letter, it is better to take them 

 out of their covering, and render them as clean as possible, 

 by the use of sieves with holes large enough to admit the 

 passage of dust, but not of the seeds. Such sieves on a small 

 scale every lady may make for herself, by turning up the 

 edges of a thin circular piece of pasteboard, and piercing the 

 bottom with holes with a large pin or needle. When it is 

 determined to separate the seeds from the vessels, instead of 

 putting the whole up together, the vessels may be dried in 

 the sun — when many of the seeds will fall out by the expan- 

 sion of the vessels, and the remainder can be easily rubbed 

 out. For keeping seeds, a lady should have a small cabinet, 

 which she might make of pasteboard, with the draws lettered 

 properly, and the packets of seeds of each genus placed in 

 their appropriate drawer. If so much trouble is considered 

 unnecessary, a large paper bag may be substituted. 



The period during which seeds will retain their vegetative 

 powers differs in different families, genera, and even species. 

 Seeds of Ranunculaceae and Cruciferse, will, in general, pre- 

 serve their vitality for several years, in whatever manner they 

 may be kept, provided the situation be not such as will cause 

 them to germinate. On the other hand, seeds of Capsicum 

 will keep for several years, if retained in the berry, but will 

 seldom grow the second year after being removed from it. 

 The rule may in general be safely adopted, that all seeds will 

 keep three years, and grow, provided they are retained in 

 their unopened seed-vessel; that most seeds, if maturely ripen- 



