The progress., 1904-12-03

CONSERVING SEED VITALITY.


/ ff9fa} lplAs.
Observing msf arc coming to rssiis,
~ importance q uood sesd. Whert
on1 = certain farmer wNs sattsaed K
20 to HI CRIB and.sort out some corr
N the spring for planning. 30 now y
lectA his corn IN The tall and carefully
cares It through the winter, having Il
N ths best possible condition when
the nelds are ready for ths planter
10 b sure only ! small percentage d
the tArmers OF tho county are observ.
ing this care, but We believe that the
humber y gradually increasing each
year.
With every farm crop there Is an op-
portunity to suse great care In select
Ing and sorting all seed
Even after the seed has been selected
usere Is need of care We do not pre-
tend to assume In thil article to tell
just how this care must be given. but
there are certain general qualities that
may be aimed at, In order to insure
nrst-class seed. In a la.e buila,..:, is-
sued by the bureau Of plant industry
Of tho department Of agriculture at
Washington particular attention Is
given to several essential points, to-
gether with results that haye been Sc
cured by observing <ftem These may
be summarized as follows:
l. fno first factors determining the
vitality ef = seed are maturity, weather
conditions At the time of harvesting
and methods Of harvesting and curing.
O. Immature seed sown at er gGth-
ering usually germinate readily, but II
stored they soon lose their vitality. On
the other. hand, well-matured seeds.
harvested under favorable conditions,
are comparatively lVngiived when
properly handled. a.
3. The curing Of the various seeds
is Of the utmost Importance. and great
care should be tatem. to prevent ex-
cessive heating, otherwise the vitality
will be greatly lowered
I. With special precautions and
treatment. there Is no question tirat the
life Of seeds may be greatly prolonged
beyond that which we know at present.
though never for centuries, as is fire.
quently stated. Cases so reported can
not be taken as evidence of the longev-
icy Of seeds.
8. It Is known that seeds retain
their vitality much better In some Sec
t!ons Of the country than others. The
part which climatic influences play In
the vitality Of seeds is OF much more
Importance than is generally supposed.
8. Experiments have shown that
moisture Is the chief factor in deter
mining We longevity Of seed as they
are commercially fandleds Seeds stored
In the dry climates retain their vital
ity much better than when stored In
places having humid atmosphere.
T. The delcterious action OF moisture
Is greatly augmented II the temperature
be increased. Not infrequently 10 VI
tality destroyed within few weeks or
months when the seeds are stored In
warm, moist climates. II stored In q
dry climate the question OF temperature
within the normal range is OF little
moment
8. If the storage room for seeds
could be kept dry and At the same
tnme cool the conditions would be al
most ideal for the preservation OF VI
tatity; but the difficulties to be over
come In order to secure dry and
cool storage room render this method
tmpracticable.'
9. Seeds that are to be sent to coun-
tries having moist climates should be
put UP in air-tight packages. Expert
ments have shown that by the judi
cious use Of bottles and parafined
packages seeds can be preserved prac-
tically as we'll in one climate as In
another.
10. OF a series of experiments the
average loss in vitality Of seeds kept
In envelopes in a dry room" was
21.19 per cent; trade conditions"
1858 per cent; basement" 422S per
cent. while the loss in the case Of seeds
stored in bottlesw only sos, 1892 and
4.51 per cent respectively.
In brief, the essential factors in Sc
curing good seed are full maturity,
curing and dry. cool quarters
for storing.-Drovers Journal.