CHAPTER IX 

 SEEDS 



CONDITIONS NECESSARY FOR SEEDS TO SPROUT 



IN the spring comes the great seed-planting time 

 on the farm, in the home garden and in the school 

 garden. Many times the questions will be asked : 

 Why didn't those seeds come up? How shall I 

 plant seeds so as to help them sprout easily and 

 grow into strong plants? To answer these ques- 

 tions, perform a few experiments with seeds, and 

 thus find out what conditions are necessary for 

 seeds to sprout, or germinate. For these experi- 

 ments you will need a few teacups, glass tumblers 

 or tin cans, such as tomato cans or baking- 

 powder cans ; a few plates, either of tin or crockery ; 

 some wide-mouth bottles that will hold about half 

 a pint, such as pickle, olive, or yeast bottles or drug- 

 gists' wide-mouth prescription bottles ; and a few 

 pieces of cloth. Also seeds of corn, garden peas 

 and beans. 



Experiment. Put seeds of corn, garden peas, 

 and beans (about a handful of each) to soak in bot- 

 tles or tumblers of water. Next day, two hours 

 earlier in the day, put a duplicate lot of seeds to 

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