Fresh Seeds 



125 



are often able to forecast the value of the seed -crop 

 of certain plants by knowing the season and condi- 

 tions under which it is grow^n. Seeds from poorly 

 developed plants, if fully ripe, are seldom distinguish- 

 able by the eye from those grown under the best 

 conditions. They often give a very high test soon 

 after they have been harvested, but rapidly decline 

 in value, and at planting season, the following 

 spring, may be worthless. Consequently, tests made 

 in autumn or early winter may be of little value to 

 the cultivator. 



What are known to the trade as round seeds'^—cab- 

 bage, turnip, radish, and the like — are very likely to be 

 influenced in keeping qualities by the conditions which 

 obtained during the year in which they were grown. 

 Cabbage may germinate 70 to 80 per cent in its eighth 

 year, and again it may fall below 40 per cent in the 

 third year. The character of the resulting plants, as 

 well as mere percentage oE germination, may be affected. 

 Therefore, to know the year in which the seed is grown 

 is sometimes more important than merely to know its 

 age. Gardeners demand fresh seeds : this is well, and 

 yet old seeds may be better. The best seed merchants 

 lay in an extra stock in the good years, and the dis- 

 criminating buyer chooses this stock as long as it 

 retains a fair percentage of germination. 



A mechanical or other injury to the growing plant 

 may produce the same effect on the seeds as an un- 

 propitious season. For example, a certain fine crop of 

 seed-cabbages was attacked late in the season by great 

 numbers of plant-lice. The seeds produced were to 



