SOME CURIOSITIES OF TESTING SEED.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1473, 10 December 1881, Page 3

SOME CURIOSITIES OF TESTING SEED.

Piufessok W. J. Beal, of the Michigan Agricultural Cjl'ege, reoently reported to the New York Tribune some interesting: facts in te3ting seed at the College, as follows :— ' In making testa of seed ' the fact mast not be lost night of that the finest* looking ceeds, and tho&e which show the greatest pioporiion of living germs, may not be the most definable for the field, or garden. Much depends on the variety, — the choicest strains of some kinds producing seeds of inferior appearance and vitality. I have made some progress towards ascertaining the 1 beet methods and the most favourable temperature for germinating seeds of wheat and the ouourbitaceaaor vine family. To aid in finding the best method I used some seeds which werefresh, well grown, carefully harvested and not subjected to severe trials or esposure of drouth and moisture, beat or cold. These reliable seeds wer© teßted, side by side with others whose history was not certainly known. In the different modes of testing good fresh seeds varied much less in the per cent, which germinated j than did those which pressed little vitality, i In two trials only a few days apart, at about the same temperature, by one person, in the same room, with the same apparatus used in a similar manner, the same quantity of the same lot of unknown wheat was tested with the following results : in both trials, ten lots of 100 kernels each 1 were placed in saucers of damp sand. Of the first, 81, 82, 84, 85, 85, 87, 89, 89, 90, 96 germinated, an average of 78.80 per cent. ; of the second, 66, 75, 75,' 76, 77, 78. 78, 79, 82, 89, germinated, an average of 68.5 per cent. Here is a difference in the result of 10,3 per cent., for which I cannot account. In' August,,' on different days, many lots of fresh, hand-picked, hand-femelled red wheat were tested in several ways at temperature varying from 75 to 136 degrees F. Excepting one kernel, in one of several lots at two different times, the average was 100 per cent. <.". germinating seeds. In open ground, 1000 of these 6eeds gave an average of 94 "9 per cent. Side by side with the above, the unknown wheat varied from 39 to 86 "8 per cent, in germination. Red wheat germinated more slowly than white wheat. Some experiments weie made to ascertain whether feeds - well dried af fcw once or twice gei miuating would germinate again. In case of wheat,- the plumule > lived and continued the growth, if any .growth was made, but the roots always died when well* dried. If any growth- was made, second or third, new roots started -out. Of fifty kernels of unknown white wheat once germinated a Jittle. and dried, r Q6 per cent, germinated ; ,, twice dried, 88 per cent. Of fifty r kernels , once germinated till the plumule became half an inch long, and the roots an inch or two inches, then diied, 82 per ceat. germinated ;, twice sprouted and twice dried, 48 per cent. Of fifty kernels once germinated till the plumule became one inch long and the roots one to two inohea then dried, 38 per cent, germinated ; twice sprouted and twice dried, 14 per cent, again germinated. Some tests with new v\ heat now under way show still more favourable results than the foregoing. Seeds of squashes known as. Turban, Boston, Marrow, Hubbard or Marbiehead, and the common field puinpkin, tested in several ways at a temperature of 80 dep rees or lower showed results which were very variable and unsatisfactory. Tested in a temperature of 100 to 136 degrees F., the results were more uniform and the per cent, of germinating seeds much higher. Seeds of watermelons and cucumbers varied but little whether tested at 70 or 136 degrees F.