70 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 
store which handles large quantities and depends upon trade 
by the excellence of its stock. It is well to place the order 
as early as possible to insure prompt service and to avoid 
shortage of stock which occurs almost yearly in some kinds 
of seed. Early ordering also gives time for testing seed for 
germination qualities. 
In order to learn the proportion of seeds that will ger- 
minate 10-25 seeds of each kind should be counted out and 
placed between moist blotters between plates in a warm place. 
The blotters should be kept constantly moist and examined 
daily. At the end of 7-12 days the number of seeds ger- 
minated should be counted and the percentage calculated. 
One hundred per cent germination should not be expected, — 
but it should run from 70 per cent in case of parsley, spin- 
ach, etc., to 96 per cent in radishes and peas. 
Of great importance is the time at which seed are sown. 
There are a few seed such as beets, radishes, onions, peas, 
spinach, and turnips, which may be planted as early as the 
ground is prepared, but such early planting would result in 
the rotting and loss of such seed as corn, beans, tomatoes, 
etc. The depth of planting is influenced by the size of the 
seed, the soil, and the season. The larger the seed the greater 
power has the seedling to push its way to the surface and 
the deeper it may be planted. To insure sufficient moisture 
it is oy to plant seed deeper in sandy than in clayey 
soil, for if placed too deep in clayey soil the seedling may 
never reach the surface because of the crust which generally 
forms on the top. Early in the spring the seeds should be 
planted shallower, because at that time the layer of soil at 
the surface is the warmest and most conducive to germina- 
tion. In midsummer, however, when the evaporation is 
rapid and the heat intense the conditions for germination are 
likely to be more favorable at a good depth below the sur- 
face. In general practice, in medium soils small seeds like 
lettuce, onions, carrots, radishes, etc., should be planted 
¥4—%4 inches deep, and large seeds, such as corn, beans, peas, 
should be planted 1-3 inehise deep. 
The distance between rows is determined by the amount 
of space needed by each foe for normal development an 
for proper cultivation. Twelve inches is a satisfactory dis- 
tance for onions, carrots, lettuce, beets, etc., while other plants 
will require up to 40 inches. It is best to sow thick in the 
rows, so as to insure a full stand, and then thin out just 
before the plants begin to crowd. This precaution is often 
pibeeeaite with the result that the plants are undersized and 
sickly. 
