CHE REFERENCE LIBRARY - ZetaTalk

12 THE NURSERY-MANUALhausted the store of food in the seed (or sport) and is able tosupport itself. A seed may have sufficient vitality to slv~~t andyet not. be able to grwhafc. The word germ iwt im cannotproperly be applied to the growing of plants from tubers, asof the potato ; wgetation is the better term in sucll cases. Aplant arising from a2 seed rather than from a bulb, cutting orcion is a tmvlli~~~g ; and from a spore it is a qmdim~; but evenseedlings are usually not so called when they have atta.inedsome age and show the fea’tures of maturity. ‘I’he science andpractice of the propaga.tion of plants by means of seeds andspores is known as seedqc ; to the details of this subject we:iow proceed.10 THii: Rl%~I:ISI’I’~S 14ND CONDITIONS OF C;ERMINATIONIf a seed is Gable or able to grow, t.here are three externalrequisites to germination _ moisture, free oxygen, and a definitetemperature. ‘1’1~~ requisit.es are demanded in various degreesand proportions by seeds of different species, or even byseeds of the same spt‘cies when differing widely in age or indegree of maturity. Wie supply of oxygen usually regulatesitself. Tt is only necessary that the seeds shall not. be plantedtoo deep, that the soil is porous and not overloaded with water.Moisture and temperature, howescr, must be carefully regulated.KPfphfifW t$’ rm-~sf/crGMoisture is the most iiiq’nrtaiit favior in seedage. It isusual!~~ conducted to the seeds by means of soil or some simi1a.rmedi& as moss or coconut fiber. Fresh and vigorous seedsendure hea\-?. water&, but old and poor seeds must be givenvery little water.If there is reason to suspect the seeds to be week, water shouldnot be applied to them directly. A favorite method of ha,ndlingweak and also very small seeds is to sow them in a pot of loose