CHAPTER V 



SEEDS AND SEED AGE 



Nearly all vegetable -gardening crops are grown 

 directly from seeds. Therefore, the character of the 

 seed is of vital importance to the vegetable -grower. 

 The larger part of seed-tests and germination studies in 

 this country are made with vegetable-gardening seeds. 

 In fact, when seed-tests are mentioned, the vegetables 

 or cereals are commonly the only plants which come 

 to mind. It is important that careful attention be 

 given to the character and quality of seeds for the 

 vegetable -garden. The loss of a crop and of the 

 season's labor is often the result of poor seeds. 



Good seeds satisfy four general tests or demands: (1) 

 they must be viable,^ or able to grow; (2) they must be 

 pure, or with no other kinds of seeds intermixed; (3) 

 they must be true to name; (4) they must have the 

 greatest possible longevity. 



1. THE LONGEVITY OF SEEDS 



The length of time a seed will live varies with 

 (1) the species or variety ; (2) the conditions under 



*For general agricultural discussions, the word viability is usually preferable 

 to vitality. A viable seed is one which is capable of growing ; a vital seed is one 

 which is alive, but it may not have sufficient vitality to be able to complete its 

 germination. 



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