50 



fJuLY, 1903. 



HORTICULTURE. 



VITALITY OF GARDEN SEEDS. 



The vitality of seeds diminishes 

 rapidly with age, and it is therefore 

 well to determine their vitality before 

 sowing. A cheap and convenient way 

 of doing so is the following: — Take two 

 earthenware plates of the same size ; 

 cut out two circular layers of flannel 

 somewhat smaller than the plates. Be- 

 tween the two layers of flannel place one 

 hundred seeds of the variety to be tested. 

 Moisten the flannel with all the water 

 it will absorb. The two layers of flan- 

 nel are placed in one plate and covered 

 with the other, and set in a warm place. 

 If the flannel is thin, several pieces should 

 be used in order to absorb sufficient 

 Avater. Other kinds of absorbent cloth 

 or blotting-paper can be used, but thick 

 flannel is more satisfactory. Damp sand 

 may also be used as a seed bed with 

 success. The dishes should be kept in a 

 room which is warm at night. Keep the 

 flannel constantly moist. Some seeds 

 will commence to germinate by the third 

 day. Examine the seeds each day, and 

 remove and record those which have 

 germinated. Two weeks will suffice for 

 the test. The results obtained may be 

 considered as representing the per cent, 

 of vitality under favourable conditions. 

 The per cent, germinating in the ground 

 is likely to be less. Grass seeds require 

 as much as three Aveeks, and seeds of 

 some trees a still longer time. • 



With very small seeds it may be neces- 

 sary to provide for the circulation of 

 the air by placing small pieces of Avood 

 between the layers of cloth among the 

 seeds- With most varieties of garden 

 plants the majority of seeds should 

 germinate within a few days after the 

 first sprout appears. If the period of ger- 

 mination extends over a longer period, 

 it shows that the vitality of the seed is 

 low. Seeds of the carrot family and 



some melon seeds may not show as high 

 results in the germinating dishes as 

 they do in the ground. 



If you cannot thoroughly soak your 

 land in a dry season, it is better to water 

 very little and trust to mulch. 



A "mulch, " or "mulching "in gardening 

 language, means an extra covering of 

 soil, rotten leaves, or manure, either 

 separately or combined, placed over the 

 roots of plants, either after the latter 

 have been newly planted or at any period 

 during their growth Avhen it may be 

 considered advisable. The advantages 

 of mulching may be summed up as 

 follows : — 



(a) During the hot and dry summer 

 months it prevents excessive evapor- 

 ation from the soil, and thus not only pre- 

 serves the moisture for the roots to 

 absorb, but it also prevents the soil from 

 becoming excessively hot by day and 

 cold by night, thus maintaining a more 

 regular temperature. 



(b) In winter it protects the roots from 

 frost, and also keeps the soil Avarmer. 



(c) When a rich mulch is applied to 

 newly planted trees and shrubs, it not 

 only has the above advantages, but the 

 manurial matters contained in it are 

 washed down into the soil, and enrich it 

 with food for the benefit of the newly 

 formed or forming roots. 



(d) A good mulching of rich manure to 

 all plants which have begun to develop 

 fruit and seeds is highly beneficial in 

 assisting them to swell rapidly and ripen 

 more quickly. They make a demand 

 upon reserve materials, and, if these are 

 not quite sufficient to meet the demand, 

 it is easy to conceive that the extra 

 food supplied by means of a good mulch- 

 ing will supply the deficiency. —Journal of 

 the Department of Agriculture, Western 

 Australia, Vol. XVL , Part 4, April, 1908. 



