28 NATURE STUDY AND AGRICULTURE 
and note how many germinate. Is this as good a proportion as would 
grow in the case of fresh seeds? If you can get several kinds of seeds of 
the same age, test them and ascertain whether some kinds have retained 
their vitality better than others. The seed testers described‘in Ex- 
periment 5 may be used. 
Proper DEPTH TO PLANT SEEDS 
This box has a glass side and the seeds are planted next to that so their growth 
may be observed. To keep out the light the glass may be covered with black 
cloth or paper. A large, wide-mouthed bottle may be substituted for the box. 
18. To learn: Will a large, plump seed give a better plant 
than a small or shrunken seed? 
Plant several kernels of shrunken wheat and the same number of 
plump kernels. Keep the two lots under similar conditions and re- 
member which is which. Note the results. Which kind came up 
first? Which produced the stronger plants? Try the experiment 
with Indian corn, comparing the kernels from the center of the ear with 
the small kernels near the tip. Try several other kinds, comparing large 
seeds with small ones of the same species. 
