GERMINATION. 45 



maybe divided into two classes, as respects their ger- 

 mination, viz. : Cold soil and warm soil seeds, the first 

 class comprising peas, onions, lettuce, radish and spin- 

 ach ; the second class includes the greater number, 

 sprouting freely by the aid of much solar or artificial heat. 



Time for Germination. The time required in 

 germination greatly varies, dependent upon the species 

 of plant, the age of the seed and the surrounding condi- 

 tions of soil and atmosphere. Under favorable circum- 

 stances, peas, beans and corn should sprout in three 

 days ; cabbage, turnip and radish in four days ; vine 

 seeds, such as melon, squash and cucumber, in five or 

 six days. Germination, however, does not guarantee 

 vegetation, as seeds showing a germ may never appear 

 above ground if physically weak, if too deeply covered, 

 or if the soil is hardened by rain or heat. As a rule, the 

 depth for covering seeds should be three to four times 

 their diameter. 



Rapid Growth Desirable. The great principle 

 conducive to quick, healthy germination and rapid veg- 

 etation is a fine seed bed and good tillage. A rapid 

 growth of garden plants is much to be desired, as they 

 then outstrip the weeds, and, to a degree, get beyond 

 such dangers as floods, grubs and insects, which play 

 havoc with young seedlings, especially those of delicate 

 structure. Healthy, uniform germination requires 

 warmth, moisture, and air, as climatic accessories to a 

 finely pulverized soil, which preserves the moisture 

 longer than rough land. Seeds, on the other hand, sown 

 amid clods and crevices, are, many of them, lost by depth 

 of covering, while the rough surface of such land quickly 

 bakes and cracks and offers shelter to annoying vermin. 



Vitality of Seeds. The time during which vege- 

 table seeds retain their vitality is very variable, depend- 

 ent, first, upon their chemical composition ; second, 

 upon the climatic condition under which they were har- 



