The Portland daily press., 1878-10-08
AGRICULTURAL.
Vitality of Seeds,

A seed is composed of three PARASITIC
germ or embryo, the albumen or nutriment
laid up in the seed to noursh the young plant
till it is able to procure it from the soil and
air, and the seed-coat. This last is often
double. 1t is sometimes coriaceous or leath-
cry and at others it is hard and bony. The
nutriment or plant food is often laid up in
the seed leaves of the embryo,as in the apple,
squash, etc., and in others it surrounds it, or
is stored up in immediate contact with it, as
in the cereal grains, the horsechestnut, etc.
The material of which this plant food is COM
posed, is quite various. A large portion of it
is starch, some is albumen, oil, etc. The
length OF time seeds will retain their vitality
depends somewhat on the nature of this ma
terial. Seeds containing much oil are sup
posed not to keep well, for the reason that
thsir oleaginous contents soon become ran
cid. The manner in which they are put up,
and the conditions under which they are
kept, have probably more to do with the
keeping qualities of seeds than the contents
of the seeds themselves. Many reports that
have gained extensive credence, if true go to
prove that under favorable conditions seeds
will retain their vitality indefinitely. Some
years ago it was reported that some peas had
been found in an Egyptian tomb, one of which
was successfully grown, thus introducing
new and very superior variety of pea. An
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have been found in the same way. Though
these supposed facts have been reported on
very respectable authority, they have been
called in question and even positively denied
By equally good if not better authority.
Though such fact, If it be fact, should be
susceptible OF undoubted proof, it does not
seemthat the proof is forth coming even under
the stimulus of the aforementioned denials.
Similar to the above are the reports of the
sudden sprpging up of a heavy growth of
forest trees on land lately cleared, the new
species from any that had grown within MANY
miles of the spot in the history of the coun-
try. The sudden appearance of weeds new
to the locality, that have in some cases ap-
peared On the soil thrown from wells and
bitches, has led many to believe that the
seeds from which they sprang had laid buried
in the soil for many ages. The frequency of
these reports seems to impress the mind with
the idea that there must be some truth in
them; but it is true that none of these obser-
vations have been made with that critical
care that would exclude all probability not to
say possibility of the seeds being conveyed to
the place in very recent times. What we
need. is such an investigation of these facts
as will exclude all probability of error. If
some OF this soil were taken from a depth of
several feet and placed under circumstances
that would prevent the possibility of seed
reaching 1t from any extraneous source; and
then if the plants appeared it would amount
to demonstration that the seed had lain
dormant for many years. But until such
demonstration is furnished there will be
doubters, and unfortunately for the theory,
the doubters are among the most intelligent
persons on such subjects to be found in the
country.
The fact of it is, there seems to be little
positive knowledge on this subject even
among the best informed men of the country.
Exceptions to what seem to be established
laws in regard to the vitality of certain spe-
cies OF seeds are appearing so frequently as to
almost shake our confidence in all teaching
on the subject. Some kinds of seeds, as the
magnolia, that are supposed to retain their
vitality only very limited time indeed, have,
under certain circumstances, grown well
after several years, thus proving our knowl-
edge OF their nature to be no knowledge at
all. The prolongation of the vitality of seeds
depends on the nature of the constituents
and the coating of the seed, as well as their
state of perfect ripeness when gathered, and
the conditions under which they have been
preserved. In order that seeds may have
the best possible keeping qualities, they should
be well grown and thoroughly ripened upon
the plant. When gathered, they should be
placed in cool, dry situation till thoroughly
air-dried. They should then be placed where
they may be as near as possible free from the
influence of heat, moisture and atmospheric
air. These, together with insects, are the
great agencies for the deterioration of the
vitality of seeds. The limits of the vitality of
common field and garden seeds are pretty
well known; yet carefully conducted expert
ments that will determine precisely what
each variety of seed will do under all the
various circumstances nndar which thnv ara
likely to be placed by nature, or unddr which
they may be placed by art, are still wanted.
Any one who will determine by careful ex-
pertinent just how long and under what cir
cnmstances seeds will retain their vitality,
and under what ones they will lose it, will
throw needed light on the question of the
vitality of seeds.-Cor. Country Gentleman,