PROPAGATION OF PLANTS. 207 



should eventually show the age at which the various 

 kinds of seeds may be profitably planted. 



(4) TIIK METHOD OF PRESERVATION of seeds 

 is of importance. Seeds should be freed from 

 any pulpy material, carefu'Iy dried under mod- 

 erate temperature, labeled with name and date, 

 and stored in a cool, dry place which is abso- 

 lutely mouse-proof. 



III. Germination of Seeds. 



A study of the conditions necessary for the 

 germination of seeds. 



1. Temperature. 



EXPERIMENT 18. (a) Plant separate groups of similar, 

 uniform-sized seeds of any garden or farm crop in jars 

 or pots containing some moist pourous material as, 

 sawdust, sand, or moss. 



(^) Place these jars in different parts of the building 

 which have decidedly different temperatures as, a north 

 window, a south window, near a register, and in a 

 basement. 



(jc] Record the temperature at each of these places each 

 morning, noon, and night. 



(it) Note the time of the appearance of each group of 

 seedlings, and determine the time required for germina- 

 tion. 



(e] Record the data thus obtained in tabular form. 



(/) Compare. What does the experiment teach ? 



2. Moisture Soaking seeds: effect of upon germi- 

 nation. 



EXPERIMENT 19. (a) Select a given number of seeds 

 of various kinds as, corn, wheat, beans, squash, and 

 tomato. 



< Divide each kind into two lots. Plant one of these 



