SEED TESTING 69 



of fungi they may contain. Wring them out until 

 only moderately wet, spread one over the bottom of one 

 of the plates, and put 100 of the seeds to be tested upon 

 it. Cover these with the other cloth, and place the second 

 plate on the one containing the seeds, taking care that the 

 rims are together. Set the tester in a warm room. Look 

 at the seeds from time to time and remove all that have 

 germinated. When all seem to have germinated that 

 will, subtract the number that failed to germinate from 

 100. The remainder will show the per cent of live seeds 

 the sample contains. Boil the cloths again before using 

 them for a second test. 



Importance of Testing Clover Seed Before Purchasing. 

 As we have learned, the clover crop is a very impor- 

 tant one to the farmer in many countries. Most farmers 

 need to buy their clover seed, and it is generally pretty 

 high in price. It is important, therefore, to test clover 

 seed before buying it. It is well to procure several dif- 

 ferent samples from the seed store, noting the price at 

 which each can be purchased. Some of these samples 

 will probably contain more dirt, sticks and weed seeds 

 than others, and in some the clover seeds will germinate 

 better than others. The best sample to buy will be the 

 one that gives the largest quantity of live clover seeds for 

 the lowest price. 



QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 



1. Why should seeds be tested before planting? 



2. Tell how to make and use a seed tester. 



3. What kinds of seeds should be tested before they are 

 bought? 



