HOTBEDS AND COLD FRAMES 



225 



of this kind, with a good reputation, can usually be trusted 

 to supply good, pure seeds with strong germs. Seeds put 

 up in small packages and sold at stores are usually accept- 

 able if they are fresh. The following table from Green's 

 Vegetable Q-ardening shows the average life of common 

 seeds under ordinary conditions of storage. 



The seed for the most important garden crops should be 

 tested even though they seem fresh. To do this, count 

 one hundred seeds (Chapter XIV), and place them between 

 moist blotters that are inclosed between two table plates. 1 

 Keep the parcel warm and moist, and examine it daily. 

 If 75 per cent of the sample have not sprouted well be- 

 fore the end of a week, it is poor policy to plant the seed. 

 However, celery, parsnips, and other members of the par- 

 snip family may be allowed more than a week, because 

 their seeds germinate slowly. 



169. Hotbeds, cold frames, and forcing boxes are im- 

 portant aids to a garden. There are three parts to a hot- 



1 Common Petri dishes (low flat dishes) used in laboratories for raising 

 bacteria are excellent dishes for testing small seeds. These dishes cost, how- 

 ever, about fifteen cents a set. Moist blotting paper is placed in the lower 

 dish. 



