﻿SEEDS 
  AND 
  SEEDLINGS 
  163 
  

  

  After 
  the 
  rest 
  period 
  the 
  time 
  required 
  for 
  germination 
  

   varies 
  greatly. 
  Grains, 
  grasses, 
  and 
  many 
  seeds 
  of 
  herbs 
  of 
  

   the 
  Pea 
  family 
  germinate 
  in 
  from 
  two 
  to 
  eight 
  days, 
  and 
  seeds 
  

   of 
  most 
  plants 
  of 
  the 
  Parsley 
  family 
  in 
  about 
  fourteen 
  days. 
  

   The 
  seeds 
  of 
  the 
  hornbeam 
  and 
  ash 
  are 
  said 
  not 
  to 
  grow 
  

   until 
  the 
  second 
  spring 
  after 
  they 
  are 
  planted. 
  

  

  154. 
  Seed 
  testing. 
  In 
  growing 
  crops 
  from 
  the 
  seed 
  it 
  is 
  

   desirable 
  to 
  use 
  only 
  seed 
  of 
  the 
  highest 
  quality. 
  The 
  seed 
  

   should 
  be 
  of 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  varieties, 
  that 
  is, 
  a 
  choice 
  kind 
  

   of 
  grain, 
  beet, 
  tomato, 
  or 
  other 
  plant, 
  which 
  is 
  adapted 
  to 
  

   the 
  soil 
  and 
  climate 
  of 
  the 
  region. 
  1 
  Good 
  seed 
  is 
  pure 
  and 
  

   of 
  high 
  vitality. 
  Purity 
  means 
  freedom 
  from 
  earth, 
  sticks, 
  

   broken 
  seeds, 
  bits 
  of 
  leaf, 
  or 
  weed 
  seeds. 
  High 
  vitality 
  

   means 
  a 
  large 
  percentage 
  of 
  vigorous 
  live 
  seeds 
  which, 
  under 
  

   good 
  conditions, 
  will 
  grow. 
  The 
  purity 
  can 
  be 
  tested 
  by 
  exam- 
  

   ining 
  a 
  small 
  average 
  sample 
  of 
  the 
  seed 
  with 
  a 
  good 
  lens 
  and 
  

   separating 
  the 
  sound 
  seeds 
  of 
  the 
  desired 
  plant 
  from 
  foreign 
  

   seeds 
  and 
  other 
  impurities. 
  The 
  vitality 
  can 
  be 
  tested 
  by 
  

   sprouting 
  a 
  convenient 
  number 
  of 
  seeds, 
  one 
  lot 
  from 
  each 
  

   sample 
  to 
  be 
  examined. 
  Place 
  the 
  counted 
  seeds 
  on 
  mois- 
  

   tened 
  blotting 
  paper 
  in 
  a 
  plate 
  and 
  cover 
  them 
  with 
  an 
  in- 
  

   verted 
  plate. 
  If 
  many 
  seeds 
  fail 
  to 
  grow, 
  it 
  is 
  because 
  (1) 
  the 
  

   seeds 
  have 
  been 
  kept 
  too 
  long 
  and 
  have 
  lost 
  their 
  vitality 
  ; 
  

   (2) 
  the 
  seeds 
  have 
  been 
  exposed 
  to 
  too 
  great 
  heat 
  or 
  moisture, 
  

   or 
  to 
  too 
  sudden 
  changes 
  in 
  temperature 
  ; 
  (3) 
  the 
  seeds 
  were 
  

   immature 
  or 
  otherwise 
  imperfect 
  when 
  collected. 
  The 
  use 
  of 
  

   impure 
  seeds 
  or 
  those 
  of 
  low 
  vitality 
  is 
  extravagant, 
  no 
  matter 
  

   how 
  cheaply 
  they 
  were 
  bought, 
  as 
  impure 
  seeds 
  may 
  introduce 
  

   many 
  bad 
  weeds, 
  and 
  seeds 
  of 
  low 
  vitality 
  will 
  not 
  give 
  a 
  good 
  

   stand 
  of 
  the 
  gram 
  or 
  other 
  crop 
  planted. 
  2 
  

  

  1 
  See 
  Chapter 
  XII. 
  

  

  2 
  The 
  teacher 
  can 
  usually 
  secure 
  a 
  bulletin 
  on 
  seed 
  testing 
  from 
  the 
  

   agricultural 
  experiment 
  station 
  of 
  his 
  state. 
  

  

  See 
  also 
  Lyon 
  and 
  Montgomery, 
  Examining 
  and 
  Grading 
  Grains, 
  Ginn 
  

   and 
  Company, 
  Boston 
  ; 
  Burkett, 
  Stevens, 
  and 
  Hill, 
  Agriculture 
  for 
  Begin- 
  

   ners, 
  Ginn 
  and 
  Company, 
  Boston 
  ; 
  and 
  Warren, 
  Elements 
  of 
  Agriculture, 
  

   The 
  Macmillan 
  Company, 
  New 
  York. 
  

  

  