Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-07-18
Longevity Of Seeds

Many are the stories toll of seeds
taken from the hands of mmmies or
found in their cerements, Which vegita-
ted after having been thus i1terred for
hundreds and even thousands of years.
Such stories are either apcryphal or
absolutely without founation-not
that the persons relating tim intend
to deceive, but they themseles are de-
ceived through taking livingston grant
ed without bestowing thOughtupon the
matter, or referring it to the investiga
ton of scientific men. 1t is veil known
that the Arabs, who are by means
saints, fully understand the at of get
ting up mummies and other Egyptian
antiques for the European AM Ameri-
can markets.
Some of the receptions praticed in
this line appear quite ludicrou, as in
the case of the mummy unDlled at
Boston some years ago. Thi before
being unrolled, was thought fom the
inscriptions on the sarcOphaguSo have
been an Egyptian princess of Ugh dis
tinction; but when unrolled, hfore a
large audience of distinguish ladies
and gentlemen, it proved to be n ndi-
vidual Of the opposite sex. TIE lrin-
cess remains had no doubt ben de-
stroyed by the Arabs for the sake of
the gold ornaments and parhas ther
valuables upon them, and anther
mummy placed in the sarophgls to
make a good sale of that. n Ill such
operations of changing munmns it is
probable that some of the gain lsed
by the operating Arabs, eithe for ITEM
selves or for feeding their horas, OOPS
into the sarcophagus or into he plds
of the wrappings of the mummy, and
when found is supposed to b' coeval
with it in age.
Notwithstanding this, it is tue tnat
many seeds, when deeply buiel in the
ground, or placed in situatins Were
they are shielded from the nfuelces
necessary for termination, i'll main
tain their vitality for long eriOd of
time, in rare cases for fifteen sixteen
centuries. Professor Lindley cites a
case of the termination Of lspberry
seeds found in the abdominal witty of
skeleton buried in coffin tlty feet
below the surface Of an anclen tumu-
lus or barrow in England. WI the
skeleton were also found some ms of
the Emperor Adrian, SO that; was
probably 1900 or 100 years oil An
other instance is known of the geta-
ton of seeds which were fouL in
Scotland at the bottom of a sal pit
, twenty-five feet deep, the gesoical
( formation of the land showing thhey
must have lain buried there forver
2 1000 wears. So also number of ae-
e tons were found in France, deeply IT.
!. led in the ground, the head Of III
e skeleton resting on small heap oril-
| low of seed, which subsequently 81
e mated. Collateral circumstses
e showed that these graves were Of h
e an origin, and that the skeletons st
l. have been those of bodies inted
}. there 1900 or 1900 years previously
n We see further instances OF such
< tality in the termination Of seeds u
i land which has been turned up from
e great depth. In Zealand, when So
e marshes were drained, species of
J. perus or rush made its appearance
d great abundance, although it had
1t er before been seen in the neigh
e hood. After draining and plough
er the fens in Cambridgeshire, Engls
re- large quantities of field and white n
of tard sprang up, although not previol
b. known there. A late instance is tina
le the removal of the Stag of the Lauri
a. silver mines in Greece, which have
to been worked for over 1900 years.
e. removing the Stag, a new species
" glaucium or horn-poppy made It's
Is pearance. After fire in the spr
ed and fir forests of some sections OF
n. country, a luxuriant growth OF T;
5. berries comes in, and after these &C
ne birches. In Monmouth County,
ne Jersey, the application of green's
ar- mari to the sterile soil brings in w
as clover where before it was not kno
be So, too, when the MattOs Virgens,
nd virgin forests, of Brazil are destro
lis by fire, they are succeeded by a v
IN, tation of a totally different kind.
VS. These instances go to show that
ith clusion from light and heat, mode
,e- dryness, and uniform temperature
nv requisite for the preservation Of the
IN tally Of seeds for long periods of t
ed and that a combination of such Giro
ed stances accounts for the re-appear;
ap- of plants or crops which may have
er, destroyed or have disappeared fro1
ent given locality In a field that was
It's soiled for carrots, a crop of turnips
nj peared, the seeds of which, sown {
hat wears before, had evidently been Ca
The down into the earth by heavy, foC
as rains. So in bitches that have
-as- filled up, and re-opened after an
her val of years, plants that had not
ter seen in the interim again appear.
sed But when seeds are kept in the O
: in airy way, in boxes or bags, their Wit
lsa- soon disappears. Decandolle in
pot experimental upon the seeds of
int species belonging to about $50 ge
lar- which had been gathered in 1881
Ad- teen years before. Of these onl
The species terminated. Of 357 speci
big was noted that 9 out of $50 were
m, nuals, 4 out of 1O5 were perennial
nee out of A were woody plants, ant
erse remainder, % biennials, did not
sted tate at all. From this it would a.
lies. that ANIMALS have more vitality
ndi- perennials, biennials less than e
)uld and woody plants more than al
lrse- them. The average vitality of The