Germination. 29 



compacting might be indefinitely postponed. The hoe, 

 the feet, a board or the hand- or horse roller may be 

 used to compact soil over planted seeds. 



34. Planting should be Deferred until the Soil becomes 

 Warm. Seeds cannot germinate promptly until the tem- 

 perature of the soil in which they are planted approaches 

 the optimum for their germination (30) during the 

 warmer part of the day, and germination is promoted 

 little, if at all, by planting Before this time. 



35. Excess of Water in the soil Retards Germination by 

 restricting the supply of oxygen (31), and sometimes, 

 by keeping the soil cold. Seeds should not be planted 

 in soil wet enough to puddle (31) about them, nor should 

 the soil in which the seeds of land plants are planted be 

 so freely watered that the seeds remain surrounded with 

 liquid water, thus shutting out the normal supply of 

 oxygen. 



36. Germination may be Hastened by Soaking seeds be- 

 fore planting. Since seeds cannot germinate until nearly 

 or quite saturated with water (29), and since they absorb 

 water faster from a very wet than from a damp medium 

 (27a), and in a warm than in a cool temperature (27c) 7 

 we may hasten germination a little if the soil to receive 

 the seeds is only slightly moist, by soaking the seeds 

 before planting in warm or slightly hot water until they 

 have swollen. This method is sometimes practiced by 

 gardeners with sweet corn and certain other seeds, and 

 its use might possibly be extended with profit. The water 

 should be heated only to 110 or 120 F. and the soaking 

 may be continued until the seeds have fully swollen. 



Soaking is most important with seeds having seed- 

 cases that do not readily transmit water at growing tern- 



