Middletown transcript., 1900-12-08
Farm and Dairy.
WHY SEEDS FAIL TO GROW

KIhere are many reasons why seeds fail
germlnate, or to grow after germinat-
g. A frequent cause of failure is be-
use the seeds are not sown at the pro-
time. Some kinds are sown too
Fly, others too late. Seeds with hard
tier covering, like the asparagus, should
Sown as early as possible in the Spring,
! fact, they would do better if sown in
Atumn, particularly if the soil is light,
Sc that the Winters SHOWS do not pack it
Own, as is the case with clay soils.
+ )st, or moisture, does not injure seeds
ofdhIs character; on the contrary, they
WI not germinate if put in late SO that
tey cannot have the benefit of these in
ttences, which would be fatal to other
seds. On the other hand, many seeds
INST not be planted too early; prominent
1lthis class is the nasturtium, a seed that
log retains its vitality when kept dry,
bl will not germinate in cold soil, hence
4e necessity of late sowing To make
dccess sure the requirements of each
aecies should be studied.
Many seeds germinate quickly when
ssgn, but the plants make a feeble
4wth, and the gardener cannot under
sFtnd why he has such weak plants, when
qers OF the same kind are strong, and
tat in soil not SO rich in plant food. This
qnes from the manner in which the
sfds are sown. It is an all too common
Ihctice in seed sowing to make the drills
Without first preparing the soil finely,
t. seed is then sown among the small
Jumps, and covered as lightly as possible,
Yien it should first be made fine and
ten covered with fine soil, which should
b pressed firmly around the seed.
There is stored up in every seed latent
gem, the embryo of new life, the de,
vtopment of which is conditional upon
oher natural causes. The influences that
az upon the seed to cause growth are
h 1t, air and moisture; and without a
Roportionate quantity of each there can
bt no plant life. Now, it follows thai
len a seed is. put into the ground and
loosely covered with light, dry soil, it
! des not come in contact with sufficient
nDisture to soften its outer coating
Jiither is there sufficient heat, because
oAthe too great circulation of air around
tn seed, to produce the chemical change:
! uI3n which vegetable growth depends
! The feeding roots of any plant are del
ic&e white fbers, SO small as rarely te
beseen with the naked eye, and are
neer seen by the casual observer. Now
wien these roots are formed, if the sol
il got pressed firmly around the mali
| rot, these feeders have nothing to liv,
ulon; they must come in immediat,
cditact with moisture, or the warm, DIR,
al will destroy them, and the who'll
pint will stand still until new root
aH formed, or in the meantime perish
lence, the necessity of pressing the sol
! fi1nly around the seeds.
Peep planting is another frequent caus
pf the seeds failure to germinate, or t.
make rapid growth after. The importanc
, Vi more care in this direction cannot b
cterestimated. Take, for instance, swee
,ern, and, in planting, cover in. to 5 in
in depth. The former will germinat
without a loss OF 5 per cent, and tn
Hitter will not grow per cent, and tn
ci5,ot ratio will be kept up. The cause fl
t.La difference is, that the conditions @
growth are not complied with-the de
ficit being heat, which, at the season Q
corr planting, does not exist at so great
depth from the surface This same rul
will apply to the planting Of most othe
seeCls. Proper care in planting, and til
too common practice of burying seeds i
just the difference between success ant
failure in their termination and growth
-1pericdn Agriculturist.