2l8 



Vitality of Seed Oats. 



[JULY, 



16 per cent, excluding one that germinated only 7 per cent. ; 

 the average germination was 34 per cent. These figures were 

 not the highest germinating power of many of the samples, for 

 the following reasons : — Most of the samples had been slightly 

 heated or were musty, that is to say, they had been exposed 

 to fungoid growth in the stook, the stack, or the granary. In 

 order to keep the conditions as natural as possible, the outsides 

 of the seeds were not sterilised, and often, in spite of careful 

 sterilisation of the material, in forty-eight hours a thick growth 

 of fungi would arise. In this way, no doubt, many of the grains 

 were killed before the radicle was visible, and examination 

 showed that many others were attacked and killed immediately 

 after the radicle appeared. 



In the second place, the grains were not selected, but counted 

 out as they came to hand, large and small together ; some 

 samples of selected grain germinated at least 10 per cent, better 

 than the unselected. It must be remembered also that the 

 samples were not supposed to be good seed, but only grain that 

 was intended for seed. 



The suggestion that there is a relationship between the 

 duration of exposure to bad weather and the vitality of the 

 seed is supported by the following figures, relating to samples 

 which were in the stook from three to six weeks in rainy and 

 misty weather : — 



Average Germination . 

 No. of Samples. Weeks in Stook. Per cent. 



63 40 



8 4 33 



6 5-6 29 



A number of samples were said to have been cut " green " or 

 " with a tinge of green." The best of these germinated 61 

 per cent., and the worst 14 per cent., with an average of 38 

 per cent., and there is no evidence that the cutting when green 

 affected the germination. In the same way, seven samples 

 of frosted grain were tested and germinated from 21 to 57 per 

 cent., with an average of 40 per cent. 



The relation between the weight per bushel and the ger- 

 minating power is shown by the following figures : — 



Germinating Power. 

 No. of Samples. Weight per Bushel. Per cent, 



11 35 to 40 lb. 26 



6 40^ to 46 lb. 40 , 



