SEEDS AND SEED GROWING 101 



done to determine the sprouting or germinating quali- 

 ties of garden seeds. Sprouting tests are made in plates, 

 pans, dishes and in various apparatus where soil and 

 moisture conditions may be controlled to a greater or less 

 degree. Gardeners want to know whether their seeds will 

 grow when planted under real conditions, and germina- 

 tion tests are regarded more valuable by practical grow- 

 ers when carried on under natural conditions. Seeds are 

 counted in lots of 25, 50, or better 100, and planted in 

 drills. The soil should be in good physical condition and 

 watered often enough to keep it moist. When sufficient 

 time has been allowed for germination, the plants in each 

 row are counted and the percentage determined. Such 

 a test may be the means of avoiding losses and disap- 

 pointments by sowing seed of low germinating power. 

 It requires very little time, and it is a great satisfaction to 

 make the main planting with the assurance that a high 

 percentage of the seed will grow. Most of the large seed 

 houses test the germinating power of their seeds before 

 supplying customers. 



Rules and regulations for official seed testing, adopted 

 by the standing committee on methods of seed testing of 

 the Association of American Colleges and Experiment 

 Stations, are published in Circular 34 of the Office of Ex- 

 periment Stations. 



The following table shows about the average percent- 

 ages of germination of one-year-old seed when planted 

 under proper conditions : 



Asparagus 90 Okra 80 



Bean 90 Onion 80 



Beet 140* Parsley 70 



Cabbage 90 Parsnip 70 



Carrot." 80 Pea 90 



Cauliflower 80 Radish 90 



Celery... 60 Salsifv 71 



Corn, sweet 85 *. y ' If. 



Cucumber 85 Spmach 80 



Eggplant 75 Squash 85 



Lettuce 85 Tomato 85 



Muskmelon 85 Watermelon 85 



*Botanically a fruit, often containing more than one seed. 



