10 MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 



(8) Seed submerged in water in a galvanized-iron bucket and stored 

 on the roof of the laboratory building, as in No. 7. In this ease the 

 water was not changed save to replace the loss due to evaporation. 



' The condition- for No. 9 were the same as those for No. 8, 

 except that air was forced into the water daily when not frozen solid. 



Sample- of seed were taken from the different lots and tested for 

 vitality at irregular intervals throughout the time of storage, which. 

 in the former series, extended over a period of approximately thirteen 

 months and in the latter series over a period of little more than six 

 months. 



ExperiTnervts Nbs. 1 and -5. — The seed which was submerged in water 

 and stored in the •"chill room" showed no deterioration in vitality. 

 The results of the final test- gave a germination varying from 79. v to 

 88 per cent. This is practically Nature's method of preserving the 

 vitality of the seed during the winter. 



Fksperiraervts Nos. 2 and 6. — The seed which was submerged in 

 water and stored at a temperature of 12 c F. was all killed before the 

 spring following the date of storage. Soon after being placed in stor- 

 age the water was frozen solid and the seeds were embedded in a mass 

 of ice. in which condition they remained throughout the experiment, 

 a portion being cut out from time to time for germination tests. The 

 complete loss of vitality in these two lots of -eed is attributed not to 

 the freezing directly, but to the thorough desiccation as a result of 

 the continuous low temperature. 



MeperimerUs Nbs. S and 4- — The samples of seed which were stored 

 in cloth bags at the temperatures of 32 c to 34 F. and of 12 c F. had. 

 for all economic purposes, entirely lost their vitality. The average 

 percentage of germination, as shown by the 87 tests made from each 

 of the two lots, was less than live-tenths of 1 per cent. 



E-rj'-riin^nt Wo. 7 . — The seed which was submerged in water and 

 stored on the roof of the laboratory building, the water being changed 

 daily, showed a good percentage of germination when the last vitality 

 tests were made. If only a -mall quantity of seed is desired for the 

 spring planting and cold storage can not be readily secured, good 

 result- may be obtained by this treatment: but it i- much le-- certain 

 and probably more expensive than keeping the seed in cold storage, 

 and for this reason is not recommended. The success of this method 

 will likewise depend largely on the temperature of the water. 



E:r r -r> - nts N ?. ] d 9. — On April 22, 1905, -ample- taken from 

 each of the-e two lot- of seed showed a marked deterioration in vitality. 

 Thoroughly mixed -ample- from No. 8 showed a vitality of only 58 

 per cent, while No. 9 had deteriorated to 14.8 per cent. 



