586 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



pure seed was $28.48. When the farmers come to realize the 

 importance of pure seed, and refuse to buy the material put on the 

 market without a guarantee of purity, we may be able to have 

 a seed law in Missouri. 



Our work in plant propagation consists mostly of laboratory 

 work. We have studied the different methods of propagation, be- 

 ginning with soft wood cuttings. We also experimented with 

 tuber cuttings and root cuttings. From our tuber cuttings, pota- 

 toes, we took slips and found that they grew very nicely in the 

 ordinary house plant pots. This one thing is or may be of great 

 value in propagating a new variety of potatoes for commercial pur- 

 poses. We propagated tomatoes by cuttings also. Of the several 

 germination tests made, one of the most interesting was made by 

 allowing the seed to germinate and then, to dry. This was re- 

 peated several times, and we found that most of the garden seed 

 will germinate the second time. Lima beans and corn germinate 

 the fifth time. However, in the fifth germination only a small per 

 cent of the seed germinated. Grafting is also taught in the 

 woman's course. The students are taught to select their own 

 wood in the orchard, and then graft these scions into other 

 branches. This is something that must be learned by practical 

 experience, and it is one of the most useful things to be learned in 

 agriculture. It is the means employed to propagate apple trees; 

 it is not the only method, but is the cheapest and the one most 

 commonly used. We also studied in the same manner the budding 

 of peach trees. This work seems to me very practical and some- 

 thing that may profitably be used on any farm. 



And last, but not least of my agricultural courses, is vegetable 

 gardening. This is to be the most interesting course. Perhaps it 

 is so to me, for the reason that for several years past I have been 

 the manager of our home garden. I did a great deal of the work 

 myself. Since there was no market near us, farmers in our com- 

 munity never sold vegetables. The farm gardens existed only for 

 the purpose of supplying the family with fresh vegetables for the 

 table. The care of a garden is really very pleasant work, especially 

 if we can find time to get into the garden in the early morning 

 before the sun's rays become so warm. We have made a study 

 of the different vegetables, of the different varieties that are suited 

 to the different soils and climates ; the varieties to be used for the 

 home and those best suited to the market; the care and manage- 

 ment of a hotbed; the hardening of the plants and transplanting. 



