42 A HOME VEGETABLE-GARDEN 



moisture has softened the outer covering of the 

 seed. Then even before the germ has started to 

 grow, unless a protection of some sort is furnished 

 the seeds, the pests will eat their way into the 

 embryo and destroy the life. Either a deterrent 

 or a poison must be used. The latter requires 

 more special knowledge, and many kinds of seeds 

 might be thus injured; and there is always danger 

 in handling poisons. Tobacco dust is the best 

 deterrent. Sprinkle the dust or fine scrap thickly 

 in the row beneath the seeds, and nothing will 

 disturb them. The tobacco will not only be a pro- 

 tection to seeds during germination and early 

 growth, but later will furnish food. 



For rapid germination, moisture and warmth 

 are necessary first; then stimulating food. To 

 start growth quickly, certain seeds may be soaked 

 in warm water until the outer shell is softened. 

 Seeds like parsley need long soaking. Peas and 

 beans make a much quicker start if their hard 

 cover is thus softened. All vine seeds, cucumber 

 and winter squash especially, should be first 

 sprouted on trays of warm earth or on a sod. 

 These various ways of hastening embryo growth 

 are a great assistance ; but the best all-around aid 

 to germination is a heat-supplying stimulating fer- 

 tilizer, one in which chemical action is still going 

 on, and, also, one which contains an unstable 

 nitrogen compound ready, in the presence of 

 moisture, to give up its nitrogen to stimulate the 



