THE SEED 



21 



more, of the seeds fail to germinate, it will then be 

 best to add to the number of seeds planted, for it 

 is much cheaper and safer to thin out than to be 

 obliged to replant. If one has no hotbed, all that is 

 necessary is to take a couple of dinner plates ; on 

 one place a piece of muslin or canton flannel, mois- 

 ten it, place 100 seeds upon it so they will not 

 touch each other, place another piece of damp cloth 

 over them and turn the other plate bottom side up 



Fig. 3. Seed-testing box filled with corn after the melon seeds 

 had germinated. 



over the whole to prevent evaporation, and set the 

 whole in a warm place for a few days, when they 

 may be counted out and the percentage of germina- 

 tion ascertained. Another inexpensive seed tester 

 is shown in Fig 3. It is simply a shallow box or 

 tray, of almost any dimensions not too large to be 

 easily handled, with wires stretched across in both 

 directions, two inches apart each way. This will 

 make little pockets or squares large enough to hold 



