The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-01-08

The question of the duration of the
vitality OF seeds Is one of much interest 10
science, but one which has received as vet
liitle help from exact observation. Ii Is
known that the seeds OF many plants NAV
be kept without injury for several years
The conditions most favorable for their
preservation are dry atmosphere and a
low temperature. When buried deeply I'm
dry, hard soil, seeds have been known
to retain life for an untold length OF time.
Dr. Carpenter relates, in his work on
Vegetable Physiology that, west of
Stirling. England, some workmen were
ditching in a clay soil which had been COW
cred with Ii feet OF peat A clergyman
standing by observed seeds in the CLAW
thus thrown to the surface, which he Sc
cured and planted. They germinated and
produced species of chrysanthemum. Ii
Is impossible to estimate the time which
these seeds had lain in the ground, while
their covering OF clay and the ii feet of
peat-earth was slowly accommodating over
them; but it must have been an enormous
period.
Ii is on record by DR.. Lindley, that
raspberry seeds taken from the stomach
of man who had been buried with the
coins OF the Emperor iiadrian, and whose
skeleton was found 30 feet below the sur.
ialtts At iiit DOblolll vi u UdlIOM. OF dltltill
burial place, near Dorchester, germinated
in the Horticultural Garden. where they
were planted. Ii was conn uted that these
seeds We're l,600 or 200 years old at the
time of their recovery.
Forty miles from the sca-coast. in the
State of Maine. "A well was sunk to the
depth OF 20 feet, when layer If sant was
struck, which WAS in its character unlike
any sand nearer than the sea-beach. When
drawn up from the well, it was placed in
a pile by itself. In the course of a year or
two, this sand was covered with growth
of strange plants, which proved TO be
bcach-plum trees. No trees of the kind
had ever been seen in the vicinity before,
or indeed any where except upon the sea-
shore. The conclusion 10 which proba-
blity tends is, that the plants grew from
seeds that had been buried for ages In the
stratum of sea-sand pierced by the diggers.
liz Is also stated by DIR. Carpenter. from
whom we have the preceding particulars,
that seeds found in the herbarium OF DIR.
Tournefort, a French botanist. were found
TO retain their vitality after the lapse OF
century. The stories of the growth OF
corn and wheat from grains buried with
Egyptian mummies are not accepted as
authentic evidence, as in these Eases there
has been opportunity for the practice OF
deceit by the Arabs who had the handling
of the bodies.
From series Of curious experiments i'm
floating seeds upon salt water. and i'm
mersing them in Ii, DR.. Darwin infers
that the seeds of one-tenth of the plants
of any nora could be floated across a sea
800 miles wide without losing their vital
ity. He found that few seeds survived
immersion in salt water lE days. Dried
hazel-nuts floated 90 days, and afterward
terminated. Ripe asparagus-berrie float
ed 50 days, and proved to be unhurt. Peas
are quickly destroyed by salt water, but
some taken from the crop ola dead pigeon
that had fioated 80 days were uninjured.
The crops Of birds do not harm seeds, and
the harder sorts will pass safely through
the digestive organs of even turkey.
DIR. Darwin raised two beet-plants from
seeds that had been i'm the stomach of n
bird of prey for ? days and IA hours.