52 



It ^vas supposed that the weevils would develop in the cowpeas 

 after thev were taken from cold storage and subjected to a higher 

 temperature, but in no case did the weevils ever develop not even 

 in the samples which were taken from cold storage May 1. 1903, less 

 than two months from the time they were first put into the cold- 



storase room. . . . 



The samples from cold storage were tested again for germination 

 March 11, 1905. two vears after the beginning of the experiment. 

 The results of the germination tests are shown in Table II, together 

 with the approximate time the samples were in cold storage and the 

 time they were subsequently stored in the seed laboratory. 



rr;;"S Zno^;7 ^tJ^^^-atud Jryin, fro.. SO' to SO' F. for fro., 

 four to tiventy-tico mont1is.(( 



Duration of storage.^ Percentages of germination. 



In cold 

 storage, 

 32°-34° F. 



In labora- 

 tory, 

 60° -80° F. 



Washing- 

 ton, D.C. 



Ricliniond,! Jackson- 

 Va. ville, Fla. 



New Or- 

 leans, La. 



Months. 

 2 

 3 

 4 

 5 

 6 

 7 



15 

 20 



Months. 

 22 

 21 

 20 

 19 

 18 

 17 

 9 

 1 4 



Per cent. 

 79.5 

 81 



73.5 

 80.5 

 81 

 75 

 1 83.5 

 70.5 



Per cent. 

 80 

 84.5 

 83 

 77 



82.5 

 78 

 85 

 79.5 



Per cent. 

 81.5 

 86.5 

 77.5 

 81.5 

 83.5 

 92 

 79 

 64.5 



Per cent. 

 77.5 



84.5^ 



76 



71 



86 



79 



79 



79 



Avei 



age 



' 78.06 



81.21 



80.75 



79 



of days of storage. 



Table II shows that the vitality of the samples remained practi- 

 callv uniform, regardless of the length of time they were kept in 

 coki storage. This fact should clear up any doubts, which so many 

 seedsmen have entertained, that seeds kept in cold storage would de- 

 teriorate verv rapidlv if afterwards subjected to atmospheric change, 

 of temperature. The results, it is true, are somewhat lower than 

 those given in Table I, and the average percentages of germinatioi 

 are litewise lower than the germination of the original control 

 sample. But this must be considered as a natural deterioration 

 inasmuch as the peas at the time of this test were two and one-half 

 Tears old. The test showing the lowest percentage of germination, 

 No 8. was from Jacksonville. When this sample was received it 

 bore indications of being damaged by moisture, and the test made at 

 that time (November 1, 1904) showed a vitality of only 50 per cent. 

 There was, however, a marked diiference in the color of he cow- 

 peas The earlier samples taken from cold storage had darkened 



