GROWING SEEDS FOR THE MARKET. 181 



retains the seed and lets the sand through ; after thorough wash- 

 ing the seed is freed from water and spread upon a clean floor to 

 dry. Squash and pumpkin seeds are not fully grown when the 

 fruit is gathered, but continue to grow until they have absorbed 

 the most of the entrails — the stringy pulp in which they are 

 imbedded ; for this reason the seeds are much better and more 

 easily cleansed later in the season. After their removal from the 

 fru.it — using a short-handled, stout spoon for this purpose — they 

 may stand a day or more to allow the enveloping mass to soften. 

 Then churn the same in water, and force them through a coarse 

 sieve. A thorough churning in a revolving churu will complete 

 the cleaning, and after rinsing and draining in sieves they should 

 be spread one deep upon cloth-covered racks placed six inches 

 apart in frames. 



All seeds are winnowed before packing for market, and most 

 sorts require hand picking besides. The common winnowing mill 

 may be used, but requires numerous screens of finely graded sizes 

 of mesh to meet the needs of all varieties. The seed grower 

 on a large scale has for peas a tall chimney, with pockets attached 

 to the sides of the flue. The seed is poured in at the top, and by 

 forcing a strong current of air up from the base, much of the 

 lighter, poorer seed are blown out of the clear space and are 

 caught in the pockets. Onion seed may be put into water, when 

 the poor seed and motes float on the surface and are easily 

 removed, after which the seed is dried and winnowed. 



After cleaning, tests for vitality are made and if the per cent is 

 too low it is again winnowed, and the process is repeated if 

 necessary until the right percentage sprouts. 



Seed Corn. — When the centre shoot in the spindle curves, like 

 a bent finger, the field corn has begun to glaze and the stalk 

 having no more nourishment for it, the kernels getting all their 

 remaining nourishment from the cob, the ears can be broken off 

 and dropped between the rows, leaving the stalks in an excellent 

 state for the silo or drying. With twice turning while on the 

 ground the ears are soon ready for husking, when the largest, 

 smallest cobbed, and best filled are selected and spread one or two 

 deep, either on floors to be turned every day, or one deep on open- 

 work frames of laths, until the cobs are brittle, which indicates that 

 the seed is thoroughly ripe, when it is shelled, winnowed, sifted 

 and bagged. Sweet Corn requires more labor and care. The 



