*3 



spring, usually a great excess of moisture and a low degree of 

 heat, all of which causes, either single or combined in their 

 effects, draw largely on the vital power of the seed. Hence, 

 seed that under the favoring influences of the hot-house or 

 kitchen may vegetate, may not have sufficient vitality to over- 

 come the excessive cold or moisture of the garden. The re- 

 sult, therefore, of the usual experimental tests can be relied 

 upon as giving only an approximation to the truth. 



Among these approximate tests is the simple one of par- 

 tially filling a tumbler with cotton-wool, pouring in a little water, 

 not sufficient to cover the cotton, then sprinkling a certain 

 number of seed on the cotton, covering it with a little addi- 

 tional cotton to keep the moisture in. Another simple test is 

 to sprinkle the seed to be tested on a moist woolen cloth, fold 

 the cloth together, and put it in a place moderately warm. 

 The proportion of seed that is good will be known by the 

 proportion that sprout. Experienced eyes can learn some- 

 thing by the appearance and feel of the seed. Old seed re- 

 quire several days longer to vegetate than new. 



WHAT KIND OF ONIONS TO PLANT. 



Foreign catalogues describe a score and more varieties of 

 onion which are raised in Europe, but as far as experiments 

 have been made with them in this country, it has been found 

 that European-grown onion seed cannot be relied upon to 

 give as good bulbs as American-grown of the same varieties ; 

 while many sorts are not adapted to our climate. A measure 

 of the dubious quality of this foreign seed is well indicated 

 by the lower price at which it is generally catalogued. 



Of those grown from seed, the Large Red, Yellow, and 

 White are the three standard varieties in the United States. 



