Well, the following method works much better than the previously attempted method (hot water treatment -> 24hr soak -> moist dirt). [This method has not yet produced any sprouts, albeit 9 weeks hasn't elapsed].
About the same time I asked about this here, I also asked on a chat-room on another forum, and here is the advice I received:
[Using hot water; approximately 140F] Soak the seeds 24 hours in gibberillic acid solution
[I used 700ppm ga3] (Calculating Parts Per Million); during this period the water will cool, so I placed it on top of a fluorescent light setup (to keep the solution warm). After the 24 hours, strain the water to isolate seeds; soak a paper towel in warm water, and put those seeds onto it; place that paper towel inside a [3/4 open] zip-lock plastic bag.
Check for germination in 3-4 days.
I would like to report what I'd consider good success with the above described method, approx. 40% to 55% of the seeds I did this way have already begun to germinate; the remaining seeds received another hot water treatment, and went back into a paper towel for another 3-4 day period.
Note : I am actually using cotton rags, instead of paper towels currently, due to my preference for
Viva brand paper towels (I don't have any of the kind I prefer).
I find I'm reasonably happy with the rag method, especially if I don't wait until the root grows long enough to penetrate the rag (that is problematic if one waits too long).
Update: After another hot water treatment on the ungerminating seeds, and another 4 days in the rag-bag setup, over 70% germinated.