138 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



the groves of which rods to support pockets or folds of canton 

 flannel cloth were placed. 



Near the top of the tray, above the shelves, was a row of one 

 half inch holes for admitting fresh air. Water to the depth of two 

 inches was placed in the tray. The pockets were provided with two 

 free ends of cloth which extended below into the water, carrying 

 moisture to the seed by capillary attraction. The pockets were 

 three inch deep and two inches from the water. The greater depth 

 of water in the tray, than is eommonh^ used, secured a more uniform 

 temperature. Very small seeds were germinated in porous flower 

 pot saucers, set in water in the bottom of the tray, deep enough to 

 keep them moist. To sterilize the trays and pockets the}' were 

 scalded after each experiment. The above apparatus was satisfac- 

 tory. 



In all the tests one hundred seeds were used. They were counted 

 and weighed, and then put into the pockets without being soaked 

 and spread so as not to touch each other. They were examined 

 daily and those sprouted were removed, counted and recorded. 

 The experiments were continued two weeks, if any sound seeds 

 remained that length of time unsprouted, and then the sound seeds 

 left were counted. 



The following tables are a record of the results of experiments 

 conducted the past season. Seeds of the same kind are grouped 

 together for the purposes of comparison. 



It is well known that with the uniform conditions maintained in 

 germination tests that usually a larger per cent of seeds will sprout, 

 than would vegetate under the variable conditions of out door 

 planting. Yet it does not follow that the testing of seeds is use- 



Seed showing a high germination per cent would almost invariably 

 be reliable for planting, while those that do not start with favorable 

 conditions would be worthless. 



