472 Repokt of Farmers' Institutes 



weak and one dead kernel dropped in average to 63 bushels an 

 acre. Seeds of the different grains can be tested in the same way. 

 Each year a great loss is sustained bv the farmers of New York 

 State from sowing seed grain of poor germination. A few years 

 ago a dealer in my own locality sold to the farmers 1,600 bushels 

 of seed oats that when sown failed to show a good stand. A ger- 

 mination test showed that 80 per cent of this amount would not 

 grow. A simple test made in time by the farmer before sowing 

 would have saved all of this loss. 



The smaller seeds, such as clover and alfalfa, can be easily 

 tested by putting a few pieces of blotting paper into a plate with 

 enough water to moisten the paper and leave a little in the bottom 

 of the plate. Then 100 seeds should be counted out and placed on 

 the blotting paper, and the dish should be covered and set in a 

 warm place. After the seeds have sprouted, the niunber that have 

 grown will show the percentage of germination. In taking the 

 sample it is well to obtain it from different places in the bag. 

 Purity tests are made free at the New York State Experiment 

 Station at Geneva, New York. 



The seed should be planted at the proper depth and distance 

 apart, which should vary according to the difference in soils and 

 varieties of plants. Tillage should be thorough and frequent — 

 deep at first when no root system is in the soil and shallow later 

 to kill weeds, aerate the soil, and save moisture. Harvesting 

 should be done at the proper time and in the most economical 

 manner, considering the cost of labor and the value of the crop. 



Marketing can be either by selling the crop for cash or by 

 feeding it to the animals on the farm. To sell well in the market 

 the crop should be of good variety, of good quality, well graded, 

 well packed or prepared for the buyer in an attractive and sani- 

 tary manner, and put on the market if possible when the demand 

 for it is good. The name and address of the producer should 

 appear on the package or product. If the market is through the 

 animals, they should be the best individuals of the l)reed, best 

 adapted to the product to be fed and to the market for the pro- 

 duct of the animals. The animals should be well housed in warm, 

 well-lighted, and well-ventilated luiildings; supplied with plenty 

 of pure water in a comfortable drinking place; salted regularly; 



