THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 213 



an inch apart. If the holes are placed half an inch 

 apart, they may be one inch from the sides and ends. 

 This will give a board of the above dimensions a neat 

 appearance. On each side of the board, nail a strip of 

 heavy tin or galvanized iron that has been bent to form 

 a groove in which to 

 slide a pane of glass 

 to cover the surface 

 of the board. 



Resting period of FlG - 117 - A Seed Board 



QPPHQ RpprU imnallv . g roovedstri P sforlloldin g glass; 6, glass cover; 

 11 V c, holes half an inch deep for holding the seeds 



require a season of 



rest before they germinate. The seeds of most of our 

 common field and garden plants will begin growth soon 

 after they mature, but germination of the seeds of many 

 of our native plants seldom takes place before the second 

 spring or summer. Some seeds will remain in the ground 

 for several years before they germinate. It may be nec- 

 essary for the seed coat to decay or for the hard covering 

 to be opened by the frost. 



Vitality of seeds. Seeds gradually lose their vitality. 

 Onion seeds are of little value after the second year. 

 Cucumber seeds, if kept dry and in good condition, will 

 retain their vitality for ten years. 



Testing seeds. Seeds that were not mature when gath- 

 ered, those that are too old, and such as have not been 

 kept under proper conditions, may not germinate at all 

 or may produce weak seedlings. When the quality of 

 seeds is suspected, they should be tested. 



