46 



PLANT PROPAGATION 



soup plate, placing blotting paper or flannel on this, then 

 the seeds to be tested next, a second sheet of blotting 

 paper and finally an inverted soup plate to check evapora- 

 tion (Fig. 35). For small seeds. Petri dishes used by 

 bacteriologists are more convenient than soup plates, be- 

 cause they take up less space. A warm room will supply 

 the needed heat. Seed pans and flower pots placed in 

 trays of water or otherwise kept damp are useful in a 



FIG. 39 LABELS AND METHODS OF MARKING 



A, C, I, various sizes of florists' labels. B, old label rotted off at bottom without 

 losing name. D, zinc label with writing almost illegible after a year or more of use. 

 E, G, H, nurserymen's labels for fastening to trees etc. F, old label showing 

 wrong way to write name, thus losing the important part, the first syllable or two, 

 by decay. J, nurserymen's label printed on both sides for quickness in handling. 



larger way. For more extensive work, as in schools and 

 colleges, germinating ovens (Figs. 36, 37) will be found 

 more convenient and useful. 



75. Conducting a seed test. Representative samples of 

 the seed to be tested are taken from the sacks or bins of 

 seed. These are mixed to secure uniformity. A small 

 sample of this composite sample is weighed, spread out 

 and the good seed separated from the bad and the various 



