CHE REFERENCE LIBRARY - Pole Shift Survival Information

12 THE NURSERY-MANUAL
hausted the store of food in the seed (or sport) and is able to
support itself. A seed may have sufficient vitality to slv~~t and
yet not. be able to grwhafc. The word germ iwt im cannot
properly be applied to the growing of plants from tubers, as
of the potato ; wgetation is the better term in sucll cases. A
plant arising from a2 seed rather than from a bulb, cutting or
cion is a tmvlli~~~g ; and from a spore it is a qmdim~; but even
seedlings are usually not so called when they have atta.ined
some age and show the fea’tures of maturity. ‘I’he science and
practice of the propaga.tion of plants by means of seeds and
spores is known as seedqc ; to the details of this subject we
:iow proceed.
10 THii: Rl%~I:ISI’I’~S 14ND CONDITIONS OF C;ERMINATION
If a seed is Gable or able to grow, t.here are three external
requisites to germination _ moisture, free oxygen, and a definite
temperature. ‘1’1~~ requisit.es are demanded in various degrees
and proportions by seeds of different species, or even by
seeds of the same spt‘cies when differing widely in age or in
degree of maturity. Wie supply of oxygen usually regulates
itself. Tt is only necessary that the seeds shall not. be planted
too deep, that the soil is porous and not overloaded with water.
Moisture and temperature, howescr, must be carefully regulated.
KPfphfifW t$’ rm-~sf/crG
Moisture is the most iiiq’nrtaiit favior in seedage. It is
usual!~~ conducted to the seeds by means of soil or some simi1a.r
medi& as moss or coconut fiber. Fresh and vigorous seeds
endure hea\-?. water&, but old and poor seeds must be given
very little water.
If there is reason to suspect the seeds to be week, water should
not be applied to them directly. A favorite method of ha,ndling
weak and also very small seeds is to sow them in a pot of loose