The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-04-29
VITALITY OF SEEDS.
IMPORTANT REsuLTs or SCIENTIFIC
INVESTIGATION

E,ssssess q sssds Holding suspsaAsd
TAsir esrmfnaaang Powers Ess 0.s Hun
Ared and Ftfsy Ysars snd Thea spr1nga.s
- ltfs Usdsr Proper Trsssmsns.
Not long ago II was generally believed
sbss grains Of wheat from Egyptian sombs
had besn made 20 germinate. and there
sssmed therefore to bs no Limit 70 the
dormant life Of soei. When these ssoRSss
wsrs proved to 10 without foundation.
shsss was general esndsnOy 70 disbslisvs
al of Q slmilaf kind. Now, however, 70
sosms established that seeds may live, un-
der peoper conditions, great many years.
perhaps for centuries, and when We oon'
eidsr that under these circumstances the
prosoplasm within the seed actually main.
tains its vitality, this faot u vcry stgnin.
can't On tho question Of how ssods %
euzaplSsh this, much light has besn thrown
hy recent experiments Of G. do CandollA
the French botanist, which hs describes ip
Ls Revue Scientiheue. Some pazte o
his article are - follows:
"Sesas that have retained THAR gofmi-
mating power are said 20 possess 'lssens
Hfa.' This expression lacks precision, foe
10 may ask whether tho life Of the seeds
D. completely arrested or II 10 10 only 70
talpdsd, and the answers would NOT b the
sana In all casea
ave owo to Messra. Van Tieshem and
Bounisr the following experiment, whioh
proyes that seeds cun, In faos, live for Q
certain time this retarded life. Three lots
Of the Same number Of peas and beans
wsrs placed, the first In the open air. the
second In Q sealed glass tube containing
ordinary air, tho third In . sealed tubs
containing only pure oafbouio acid ga.
a. tho end os two yssEs the soods Of the
azss lot haA ssnsibly increased In weight,
and nearly ell had retained their earminat-
Ing power. Those preserved In the con.
aned air had increased leas In weight and
Rsrminnted In len numbsR than tho pre-
osaing. Moreover, the air contained In
the tube with than had changed In oom-
position. Its proportion Of oxygen had
fnllsn 20 li.l per cont rnd thare wes
mixsd with IL aSper can't of eafbonic scid.
Al 10 the seeds kept In the aa1bopio acid,
none Of them could germina1A and theis
WDizht had not changed"
E1pofiments afe then described By II.
do Onndolls that relate TO the wonderful
power Of resistance TO cold displayed By
sssds. Expsriments already made By 9th.
~. s1VW " sns' s.. sss9 .ss...s ~ = e.,nn~,..
e1 nss~s - -. -. ~ .-,s,...Ss No.,
suts oI I,VVe .o'" p s =, ~ ..iss.s..d
ene rosoafones ., 0soe ~ II III. -.
!ow semPo1Sso nass.;.i - 80. sat.i.
sass ~ so0I p"s - Ii. Wss - m.
a.,oS IT, ,.,,s. 80 hssn rssiiv
10y - 80 n.s.rsh.i.s. 60 v.rs
sS,S .s .sr,,,ss. -hsr nisn<.S. In nj
CscI,.,. -, s-,,..,r,.ns. -. vera
s.h;.ctsS ones \ dsv IA iiS dsys 9 . tan.
...ssr,. ~ ara IN IA 6olov ssro. for q "a
y Sssr ~ 49,. snS notvtthst.ndsna
~. S...s ....sr,.s.s fhs, .n,ontsd vhen
s,...aS 49, rs ~. iis. - thS 80 Sovsver.
-" .s.,i- sns,snds6 - thsv must In sbIs
=" a.. o,,t ~ oont.ct vith Ar ~ = esrsain
49, In ortse, 20 - vhsahsr thcy could
~ 90. n n csnSoIie ksut rsods undeR
.....,,,, g., - so sb,.s mouShs vfsh-
ami Siii,ns thsm.
IN this sk.ks of szsmendsd Nfe a nd n
n sa.s, ss s.s s.,,Ss.tp. ~ .c...S,n. I IN ~
- C..SaIi. .ou,.vh.t rssemsiinS shst Of
Cd ezplosive mixture-shas u u y seaoS
Coz chsmical action (growthl but shae %.
ton viii mot begin until the surrounding
conditions arc right In tho explosive
these ars conditions of drynoes. tempsz&
turs, &C.. Just a thsy ass with the ssed.
A ssed, then, b . htsls hsmh. only waas.
ins 30 b touched on 70 relsass 10 score o.
soRU and ssnd ont disahafge IN the
shape of Q sprout. n. do CAnoous ~
mafks On this - follows:
"This stassof chemical and vital inefth
may last Q long time. perhaps svsn indsd.