138 



HATCH EXPERIMENT STATION. 



[Jan. 



Five hundred seeds were then counted out from each of 

 these four grades or sizes of seeds, with the exception of 

 No. 4 (.5-.0 mm.), which was composed entirely of cliaft*, 

 dirt, etc. These were sown in flats and allowed to grow for 

 four weelvs, when the seedlings were taken up, counted and 

 weiglied, with the following results : — 



Table IV. — Showing the BesuUs of Oermination and Grow/h of Sced- 

 lings fro7n Three Exjierimcnts toilh Sifted Lettuce Seed; 1,500 

 Seeds used in Each Experhnent, making a Total of 4,500 Seeds 

 emi^loyed. 



From this table it will be seen that of the large 1(5.3 per 

 cent, and of the medium 13.1 per cent, more seeds germi- 

 nated than of the small seeds, and that the four-weeks-old 

 seedlings from the large seed averaged 98.42 per cent, and 

 those from the medium seed 75.09 per cent, heavier than 

 those from the small seed. It will also l)e noticed that the 

 difierences in the per cent, of germination and the weight of 

 seedlings from the large and medium seeds were not very 

 great; but the dillerence between the germination, and 

 especially in the weight of seedlings of the larger and small 

 seeds, is very marked. 



We are of the oi)inion that it would pay a grower to sei)a- 

 ratc his lettuce seed with a sieve having a mesh of one 

 millimeter in diameter (l/>5 inches), and to use only such 

 seed as did not pass through a sieve of this size. From 

 these [)lants he could make a further selection, as is custom- 

 ary at the lime of transi)laiitiiig. This would result in 

 saving considerable ground space which is valuable, and not 

 only would a more vigorous and uniform scttini^ of lettuce be 

 ()btain(Hl, but the treatment would also eliminate many weak 

 and undesirabk; plants, which are more likely to be sus- 



