894 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



firm cork stoppers, showed that bottles are really the best, when good 

 corks are chosen. 



The paper concludes with an interesting discussion of why increased 

 moisture should cause the premature death of the seed. The answer to 

 this question is respiration. The respiratory activity of seeds is directly 

 proportional to the quantity of moisture absorbed by the seed up to a 

 certain point, the maximum being attained during germination. The 

 chemical activity of the cells during respiration produces an expenditure 

 of energy which ultimately leads to the death of the seed. Life, in short, 

 is a process of dying. Decreased water-content results in a corresponding 

 diminution in intensity of seed-life, and prolongation of life in the 

 embryo. 



The life of a seed is not, however, bounded by respiration, for even 

 where this is entirely prevented seeds continue to deteriorate, and 

 ultimately lose their vitality. And, conversely, seeds can be kept in 

 conditions unfavourable for respiratory activity, and still retain their 

 vitality even better than under normal conditions of storage. 



After some interesting but inconclusive observations on the part which 

 enzymes play in the process of germination, the report ends with the 

 reminder that while " the life of a seed is undoubtedly dependent on many 

 factors, the one important factor governing the longevity of good seed is 

 dryness" — F. A. W. 



Segrez Arboretum, The. By W. J. B. (Gard. Chron. No. 923, 

 p. 161 ; Sept. 3, 1904). — In this article a very interesting account is 

 given of the once famous Segrez Arboretum. The author says : " A 

 quarter of a century ago the Arboretum at Segrez, and in France, contained 

 probably the most comprehensive as well as the most interesting collection 

 of trees and shrubs on the Continent. It was planned and planted by the 

 late M. Alphonse Lavallee, the proprietor of Segrez, and the author of 

 several useful botanical works." M. Lavallee died in 1884, and since then, 

 though Madame Lavallee continues to live in the mansion on the estate, 

 the plantations have been allowed to run wild ; consequently many of the 

 smaller shrubs have been killed by their larger and more pushing neigh- 

 bours in the struggle for existence ; " but some of the rarer exotic trees are 

 still probably amongst the finest of their kind in Europe." Some notes 

 are then given of the most interesting specimens. Segrez is about 

 30 kilometres to the south-west of Paris. — G. S. S. 



Selection, the Improvement of Plants by. By H. J. Rumsey 

 (Agr. Gaz. N.S.W. pp. 324-326, April 1904).— This article points out 

 that the opinion is often expressed that varieties of vegetables and flowers 

 are multiplied needlessly, and to some extent it is the case, but it is 

 rather the persistent hunt for improvement by the seed-growers of the 

 world that causes the varieties to be so multiplied, and it is this same 

 hunting that so frequently results in something extra good being given to 

 the world. Many of the novelties, however, that are placed on the market 

 with a great flourish of trumpets no doubt disappear mysteriously within 

 a few years. The reason for this is not always that they were not so good 

 as the introducers claimed, but that they had not bred them long enough 



