SEEDS. 85 



observe as to mark the dampness or dryness and the exposure 

 to sun and wind of the situations which such plants prefer. 



Assign studies based on the observation of pruning orchard- 

 trees, seeding and planting, tillage, harvesting, threshing. 

 Topics : the need of the process ; the methods of performing it; 

 the theory. 



Seeds. Germination of Seeds. — The phenomena of germin- 

 ation afford a variety of observations and easy experiments. 



Can seeds germinate without moisture? Try them in moist 

 and in dry soil, or sawdust. 



Do the seeds of dry-land plants germinate in water? Why 

 not It Infer that germinating seeds require moisture and air. 



Experiment with seeds planted at different depths to call 

 attention to the relation of heat to germination. 



Shrunken, unripe, old seeds germinate slowly or not at all. 

 Convenient seed-testers may be made as follows : — In a deep 

 plate spread a thoroughly wet piece of flannel and on it place 

 seeds of one or several kinds ; lay another piece of wet flannel 

 over them and cover with another plate or board. Carefully 

 add water from time to time to keep the flannel moist. Com- 

 pare the time the different kinds of seeds take to germinate. 

 By actual count determine the percentage of good seeds. 



A good germinator can be made of a fruit-can and a strip 

 of flannel narrow enough to go easily into it. Fold the 

 flannel length-wise six to eight or more times into lengths of 

 four or five inches. Sew the folds across, 1 J inches from one 

 end, leaving the longer end to hang in water in the can. Put 

 different kinds of seeds in each of the upper open folds; water 

 will be constantly supplied to them by capillarity. A pair of 

 hat pins passed through the folds may be used to suspend 

 them in the can. 



