USE OF PLANTERS 25 



cause the poorer the seed the more will be needed to be 

 planted to the foot. Where the seeds are stratified for 

 several weeks before planting, the sprouting will have 

 progress far enough so a mechanical test will give a fair 

 estimate of the per cent that will germinate. This test 

 is made by selecting at random one hundred seeds, splitting 

 open the shell and examining the kernel. Those that are 

 sound, plump and in good condition can be depended upon 

 to grow. From these figures the per cent is calculated and 

 the feed of the machine adjusted to give just the right 

 number of good seeds to the foot of row. 



Large commercial companies which make a practice 

 of growing seedlings for the trade use the nursery row 

 method altogether, as it is much more economical. The 

 bulk of American grown apple seedlings are produced in 

 Iowa and Kansas, where over eight hundred acres are 

 annually devoted to this purpose. Mr. F. W. Watson of 

 Topeka, Kan., gives the following method for growing 

 apple seedlings on a large scale: 



" The bulk of the seed comes from France, packed in 

 charcoal. As soon as received, it is run through a fanning 

 mill to take out the charcoal, then put in sacks and soaked 

 from five to seven days, the water being changed several 

 tunes. It is then stored away in a cool place, until plant- 

 ing time. If the weather happens to be cold so the seed 

 can be frozen before planting time, so much the better. 

 Seed that has been planted without having first been well 

 soaked starts irregularly and often a large proportion will 

 not sprout. At planting time the seed is spread out on 

 long screens to partially dry so that it will pass through 



