Seeds for the Garden 139 



year old. Do this several weeks in advance of the 

 planting dates, so that there will be time to secure a 

 new supply if necessary. 



There are several simple methods of testing for ger- 

 mination. One plan is to count out a number of seeds 

 and plant them in garden soil in a seed box, a flat, or a 

 pan. Place this seed pan in a warm room, in a green- 

 house, or in a hotbed. Keep the soil properly moist. 

 The number of seeds that germinate will indicate how 

 viable the seeds are. 



Another simple method is the blotter test. A blotter 

 is laid on an ordinary plate, seeds are placed on the 

 blotter, and the whole is covered with an inverted plate 

 and kept in a warm room. If the blotter is saturated 

 with water daily, the seeds will receive sufficient moisture 

 for germination. The proportion of embryos that start 

 to grow may readily be observed. 



Thus we learn that when we plant seeds we are placing 

 in the earth little plants which we hope to grow to maturity 

 for the food they afford. The care which is given in prepar- 

 ing the soil, planting the seed, and rearing the plants deter- 

 mines to a large extent what the quantity and special 

 quality of the food will be. But the kind of plant and 

 the kind of food it will produce is already determined 

 through its parentage and ancestry. 



We cannot afford to plant poor seed. We can avoid 

 many of the risks regarding quality of seed. We can 

 buy seed of pure varieties or strains from reliable firms, 

 or we can control and select the parentage when pro- 



