How Seedlings Get Established 



19 



damp and spoiled by molds. In many cases, insects 

 injure them while stored. It is not usually possible to 

 tell if seeds will germinate by looking at them. 



31. Testing Seeds for Germinating Powers. If there 

 is reason to think that a particular lot of seeds are not 

 practically sound, they should be tested. It is a simple 

 matter to test the germinating power of a sample of 

 seeds. Several forms of seed-testing apparatus may be 

 easily provided. Any arrangement will do that will 

 allow us to place a counted number of seeds under the 

 proper conditions for 



germination. Small 

 seeds may be placed 

 between moistened 

 layers of clean cloth 

 or soft paper. It is 

 best to wash the cloth 

 in boiling water be- 

 fore use, in order to 

 lessen the liability to 

 the growth of molds. 

 Moist sand or saw- 

 dust is very satisfac- 

 tory for large seeds like corn, beans, etc. We will later 

 learn more about testing seeds for yielding power. 



3 la. Farmer B bought two bushels of alfalfa seed at $9 per 

 bushel, of which 95 per cent were viable, that is, capable of germi- 

 nating. He was offered seed for $8 per bushel, of which only 75 

 per cent would germinate. What was the actual cost of a bushel 

 of live seed in each lot? 



32. How Deep Should Seeds be Planted? Seeds should 

 be planted just deep enough to secure the conditions 

 necessary for germination. The soil is warmer near the 



Fig. 15. A good seed tester. Clean sand and 

 soup-plates 



