and they will be published in the 

 Junior Agriculturalist. 



Is there air in the soil? 



Will the seed die if allowed to dry 

 up after it has sprouted? 



Does light affect germination? 



Do you find devices to render es- 

 cape from the cover easy? Try 

 squash seeds. 



How much opposition can the stem 

 overcome in forcing its way upward? 



Where does the growth take place 

 in the root? In the stem of corn? 

 Bean? 



* * * 



ROOT HAIRS 



Germinate several radish seeds in 

 a small dish containing sand. Keep 

 the sand moist. In a few days notice 

 the minute root-hairs growing from 

 the main root. The absorbing sur- 

 face of the root is greatly increased 

 by the root-hairs. The surface is 

 sometimes increased from fifty to 

 seventy-five times. Without root-hairs 

 the main root would have to grow 

 from fifty to seventy-five^ times thick- 

 er. 



Lift up a seed. Notice how the 

 root-hairs cling to the sand. The 

 minute hairs slip in between soil 

 crumbs where a larger root would not 

 penetrate. The finer the soil the 

 more surface is offered to the root- 

 hairs. • 



* * * 



HOW TO GROW BEST 

 VEGETABLE 



mere formal prizes. Good work is 

 its own reward, its own prize. 



We do not want you ta be satisfied 

 with growing a mere radish, we want 

 you to grow the BEST radish. Any 

 one can grow a radish with both 

 eyes shut, but only one can grow the 

 BEST radish. The BEST things in 

 this world count most. Just look for 

 and do only the best things. 



We have been talking to you about 

 prizes and an exhibit to be given 

 near the close of the term. Have 

 we told you that there are several 

 schools concerned in the matter? 

 The boys and girls of Decoto, Niles, 

 San Leandro and other schools are 

 interested in receiving the reward, 

 but do not think too much about 



How can one grow the BEST rad- 

 ish? 



We have learned that the seed con- 

 tains the embryo plant and its food. 

 The large healthy colt makes the 



best horse. The large healthy seed 

 makes the best radish. First, select 

 only the best looking seed from the 

 best appeasing- plants (if you gather 

 the seeds yourself). Test the ger- 

 minating power as follows: Place a 

 moistened blotter in a common plate. 

 Add 15 or 20 seeds. Invert another 

 plate over the seeds. Watch results 

 from day to day. Unless 90 per 

 cent of the seeds germinate quickly, 

 reject the seeds from which the sam- 

 ple was taken. 



With the seeds selected, the second 

 step is the preparation of the seed 

 bed. This is an important matter. 

 Seeds need moisture, air, food 

 and warmth. One must see that 

 each is furnished correctly. Examine 

 the surrounding foliage. If the 

 growth is not luxuriant, very like- 

 ly the soil is lacking in food which 

 must be supplied. Use rotted man- 

 ure, ashes, or bonemeal. If the soil 

 is too heavy add sand. Squeeze a 

 handful of soil and open the hand. If 

 the earth retains the finger prints 

 its moisture content is about right 

 provided it crumbles rather readily. 

 With texture, water content, food con- 

 tent about right, spade the soil deep- 

 ly, two blade lengths. Fine soil 

 means equal distribution of warmth, 

 air, water and food. It means ease 

 of growth for the roots and plenty 

 of soil close against them. It pre- 

 vents loss of capillary water. What 

 shall we do? Make the soil fine, 

 pick out all the pebbles and foreign 

 matter. 



Make straight drills (furrows) about 

 three-fourths cf an inch deep, sow 

 the seeds about an eighth of an inch 

 apart. To insure straight rows, lay 

 a rake with blade up on the soil and 

 press gently. Mark off two rows the 

 proper depth. Sow the two rows, 

 cover the first but leave the second 

 open as a guide to the next. In cov- 

 ering the first row pack the soil gen- 

 tly. This brings the moisture to the 

 seed rapidly. At the head of each 

 row, place a label telling the veget- 

 able planted and when. 



After the plants appear new direc- 

 tions will follow. 



* * * 



HOW TO USE TOOLS 



With the hand in the hand grip of 

 a spade the right farther down the 

 handle, using foot pressure begin at 

 one corner, preferably at the left 

 hand corner and spade one row 



