1904.] 



Vitality of Seeds. 



279 



The preliminary returns of the United States Department 

 of Agriculture, dated 1st July, showed that the acreage of maize 

 planted was about 91,930,000 acres, an 



United P States. increase of 2 ^°°° acres or 2-4 per cent. 



on the area planted last year. The average 

 condition of the growing crop was 86*4 as compared with 79*4 on 

 1st July, 1903. The condition of both winter and spring wheat, 

 the acreage of which was given in last month's Journal, 

 somewhat improved during June, and the condition at 

 the beginning of July was 84-5, compared with 80 on the 

 same date in 1903. The oat crop also showed some improve- 

 ment, but the barley crop lost 2 points. The acreage of 

 potatoes was greater than last year by 3*4 per cent. 



The effect of bad weather on the vitality of seed was the 

 subject of a note in the previous number of this Journal 

 (Vol. XL, p. 217), and some information 

 Vitality Of Seeds, on the point raised therein is given in a 

 bulletin which has recently been issued by 

 the United States Department of Agriculture. 



This bulletin deals with the conditions influencing the vitality 

 and germination of seeds when subjected to such methods of 

 treatment as are generally met with in the seed trade. A very 

 important part of the investigations was directed to considering 

 the effect of climatic conditions. It was known that the rapidity 

 with which seeds lost their vitality, when stored under ordinary 

 conditions, varied greatly with the section of the United States 

 in which the seeds were kept. This loss of vitality was 

 especially marked in the case of seeds stored in places of 

 relatively high humidity. A number of experiments were 

 carried out with a view of testing this, and it was quite evident 

 that moisture played an important part in bringing about the 

 premature death of seeds, and that the detrimental action of 

 moisture became more marked as the temperature increased. 



Thus at Mobile, Alabama, where the annual rainfall was 

 91 inches and the mean temperature 71 degrees F., there was 

 an average loss of vitality in thirteen samples of 72 per cent. ; 



