Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1842-04-12
q Drtrultura[,
REMARKS ON SEEDS AND SEEDS
MEN-SOWlNG SEEDS, CAUSES OF
FAILURE &c

The production of living plants from small
grains OF seeds dropped in the earth. is one of thu
most wonderful and beautiful operations of Ma
ture When examined by the light of Science. !
is found to be effected by the combined agency o
earth, air, moisture and heat; and to ensure sue
cess, it is necessary that these four elements BIZ
combined in due but different proportions. accord
ing to the nature and habits of the different kind.
OF seeds. Hence arises, the difficulty of causing
some klR.tS to vegetat and the uncertainty which
gardener generally feel respecting many of their
crops until they see the young plants appear
Hence, also, arise most Of the complaints which
are made to seedsmen, and the censures which are
! unJustly cast upon them by inexperienced culhva.
tors.
In order to explain this subject, and with view
to lessen the evil the Proprietor of the Rochester
Seed Store has added the testimony of several
mighty respectable and successful cultvators in the
country, and some accounts of methods of prepar-
ing and sowing several of the most important kinds
OF seeds that are liable to fail with careless man.
agement.
The Editor of the Albany Cultivator speaking
on this general subject says -
Seeds often fail to grow and the scotsman is
often faued, for vending bad seeds, when the caus
es OF their not growing is owing to the gardener or
planter. To induce termination, moisture. at
mospherlc air, and certain temperature, are in
dlspensable; and it is also requisite that light be
excluded from the seed, until the nutriment of the
seed be exhausted, until the root can draw nour-
ishment from the soil
The first effect of the air. heat, and moisture
upon the seed is, to change its properties-to con-
vert its starch into sugar-nto sort of milky pup
the proper food of the embryo plant. If at this
stage the seed becomes dry its vitality is believed
to be destroyed but these are permitted to use
their influence, the contents of the seed swell bv
degrees and the first point Of the future root hay
ing formed, breaks through the she'll in a down
ward direction, and about the same time the first
point OF the future stem comes forth in an inward
direction. The presence ofthe air, heat, and mois
ture are not as indispensable to the growth of the
plant as they are to the termination ofthe seed.n
Nov it often happens that when seeds are
planted in fresh stirred ground, or when the soil
is moist, they undergo the incipient progress of
fermentation, and the earth not being pressed upon
them, and dry weather ensuing, the moisture is alb
stracted, and the seeds persh Too much moisture
is also often destructive ( the vital principle of
seeds-and others again are buried too deep TO be
vivified by solar and atmospheric influence The
first object in planting, therefore, should be to
place the seed just far under the surface, and so
to cover it with earth, shall barely secure to it
constant supply of moisture. There are many
seeds as of the carrot, parsnip. orchard grass &c
which II not previously STEPPED, or the soil well
pulverlzed and pressed upon them, fail to grow for
want OF moisture. Hence in sowing orchard grass
1t is found prudent to spread it upon floor and
sprinkle it with water, before it is sown, and to
pass roller over the ground after the seed is
sown; and hence, in light garden mould. it is ad-
visabe to press with the hoe or spade, the earth
upon all light seeds after they are sown"