152 The Principles of Vegetable- Gardening 



contents of the same seed -packet. The seeds sown in the open 

 had every chance. Rain fell every alternate day. The soil 

 was loose and loamy and well drained. 



Samples 



* 



No. of germ, 

 in house 



Per cent of 

 germ, in 

 house 



No. of germ, 

 in field 

 (200 seeds 

 sown) 



Per cent of 

 germ, in 

 field 



Per cent of 

 difference 



Endive, Green Curled, Thorburn (200 seeds) . 



88 



44 



53 



26.5 



17.5 



Tomato, Green Gage, Thorburn (100 seeds).. 



72 



72 



93 



46.5 



25.5 



TurniD, Ea. Six Weeks, Dept. of Agriculture 













(200 seeds) 



180 



90 



65 



32.5 



57.5 



Pea, White Garden Marrowfat, Thorburn 













(60 seeds) 



55 



91.6 



181 



90.5 ~ 



1.1 



Celery, White Plume, Thorburn (100 seeds) . 



41 



41 



22 



11 



30 



Onion, Red Wethersfield,Thorburn (200 seeds. 



148 



74 



84 



42 



32 



Carrot, Early Forcing, Thorburn (100 seeds). 



70 



70 



39 



19.5 



50 5 



Carrot, Vermont Butter, Hoskins (100 seeds). 



65 



65 



45 



22.5 



42.5 



The average experience of careful seed -growers, 

 seed -merchants, gardeners and experimenters should 

 give us, in time, a set of figures representing what 

 may be called the normal percentage of germination. 

 These figures must be the averages of years. In some 

 years all seeds are much better than in others. In 

 many cases the percentages of germination are much 

 increased by cleaning the sample, thereby eliminating 

 the weak and light seeds. Varieties of the same species 

 differ in germinating qualities. As a rule, the higher 

 bred the stock, the lower is the average viability. 



The following table is compiled from the actual experience 

 of one of the largest American seed-houses. It represents what 

 may be expected to be "good" and "fair" percentages of ger- 

 mination of first-class fresh, commercial seeds, one year with an- 

 other. In the case of beet and sea-kale, fruits, not seeds, are 

 sown, and each fruit contains one or more seeds : therefore the 

 figures are above 100 per cent. - 



