68 



AGRICULTURE 



damp place or that are exposed to great heat often have the germ 

 injured or killed. 



Seed Plots. All seeds for planting should be carefully selected, 

 examined for purity, tested for vitality, and planted where they 



EARS OF CORN SELECTED FROM THE YIELD OF THE ( SAME EAR 



The per cent of germination from the ear on the left is 100 ; from that on the right, 50. 



This shows the importance of testing seed corn for vitality before planting. 



will not mix with other varieties. For a garden crop or for one 

 planted in small quantities, this is all that is necessary. 



For a field crop where a large quantity is required, it is 

 usually best to have a seed plot. This plot, so placed as to avoid 

 mixing with the field crop, is planted with choice seed and given 

 most careful cultivation. From its best plants, seed is selected 

 for next year's seed plot, and the remainder is used for field 

 planting. The farmer who thus selects and raises his seed does 

 not complain of its ' running out,' Instead, his varieties improve 

 year by year, and the increase in quantity and quality of crop- 

 yield repay his care a hundred times. 



Purchasing Seed. It is usually desirable to purchase seeds, 

 such as clover and grasses, which need special machinery to clean, 

 them and free them from chaff and hulls. 



