22 NATURE TEACHING 



Testing Vitality of Seeds. 



The following method of testing the germinating 

 power or vitality of seeds is easily carried out, and affords 

 results of practical value. Pupils should test the vitality 

 of half a dozen or more of the common kinds of garden 

 seeds purchased locally. (These experiments should be 

 reserved for senior pupils and advanced classes.) 



"A cheap and convenient form of apparatus for 

 testing the vitality of seeds at home is the following : 

 Choose two earthenware plates of the same size. Cut 

 out two circular layers of flannel somewhat smaller than 

 the plates. Between the two layers place 100 seeds of 

 the variety to be tested. Moisten the flannel with all 

 the water it will absorb. The two layers of flannel are 

 placed in one plate and covered with the other and set 

 in a warm place. If the flannel is thin, several pieces 

 should be used in order to absorb sufficient water. 

 Other kinds of absorbent cloth or blotting-paper can be 

 used, but thick flannel is rather more satisfactory. At 

 the Kansas Experiment Station we have used damp 

 sand for a seed bed with good success. . . . The flannel 

 should be kept moist by the addition of more water 

 when necessary. Some seeds will commence to germi- 

 nate on the third day. Each day an examination should 

 be made, and those seeds which have germinated should 

 be recorded and removed. For practical purposes, two 

 weeks is a sufficient time for the test. The results 

 obtained may be considered as representing the per- 

 centage of vitality under favourable conditions." 



" Grass seeds require as much as three weeks, and 



