1895.] Deviation in Development Due to the use of Unripe Seeds. 907 
weeks compared with those from the half ripe seed; and there 
was also about two-thirds as much gain in the ripening of the 
first ten fruits upon the same plants respectively. But such 
marked difference in earliness, or in fact any difference at all, 
in favor of plants from immature seed does not always occur; 
and several observers have noted the reverse results. 
VII.—Tomators FROM RIPE AND UNRIPE SEEDS. 
Experiment conducted by Gof. 
‘ Number | Vegetated ` First ripe | First ten ripe 
Degree of ripeness. | 5f seeds. | per cent. fruit. fruit. . 
VELY BTCC. osrssis sorters 50 2 126 days. 137 days. 
Pale groei is. ca cui e.. 50 84 143 days. 157 days. 
Tinged Red .......... 50 100 140 days. 151 days 
Light red 50 96 141 days 147 days 
Deeper red 50 88 141 days. 147 days. 
Fully ripe 50 96 146 days. 152 days. 
This is not surprising in view of the fact that it is the weaker 
plants from which the greater earliness in fruiting is expected, 
and such plants must necessarily be most affected by the con- 
ditions of weather, soil and cultivation, and so their uniform 
development be most interfered with. It was noted by Goodale,” 
in 1885, and since by Goff,* that some early market varieties 
of vegetables indicate that they may have been originated 
through the use of green seed. 
I have now stated the principal deviations from normal de- 
velopment in plants due to the use of immature seed, which I 
have myself observed, or for which I find authentic recorded 
data. They may be grouped and briefly summarized as fol- 
lows: (1.) There is a loss of vigor, shown in the smaller per- 
centage of germinations, the weakness of the seedlings, and the 
greater number of plants which die before maturity; (2) the 
full vigor of the plants is never recovered, although they may 
and usually do, produce an abundant harvest, and one accept- 
able to the cultivator, in case of economic plants; (8) the re- 
33 Physiological Botany, 1885, p. 460. 
3 Bot. Gazette, xii (1887), p. 41. 
