38 



Principles of Plant Culture. 



48. The Vigor of the Plantlet is generally in Propor- 

 tion to the Size of the Se^d. This is true not only be- 

 tween different kinds of seeds, but between different 

 seeds of the same kind. The larger beans, the horse 

 chestnut and the walnut form much stronger plantlets 

 than clover, timothy and tobacco, and the largest and 



plumpest spe- 

 cimens of any 

 sample of 

 seed usually 

 form stronger 

 plantlets than 

 the smaller and 

 more shrunk- 

 en specimens. 

 „ „, . . Growers of let- 



FiG. 13. ShowiDg navy bean plants grown from 

 large seeds (left) and from small seeds (right), tuce under 



glass are sometimes able to raise one more crop during 

 the winter by sowing only the largest seeds than when 

 the seed is sown without sifting. The practice of sifting 

 seeds before planting, and rejecting the smaller ones, 

 should be more generally followed (Fig. 13). 



49. The Earlier Germinations from a sample of seed 

 often Form More Vigorous Seedlings than the Later 

 Ones. This is one of Nature's methods for preserving 

 the vigor of plants. The stronger seedlings overtop the 

 later and feebler ones and crowd them out of exist- 

 ence. We should profit by this hint and reject the later 

 plants in the seed-bed. 



50. How Deep should Seeds be Planted? We have 

 seen that one object of planting seeds in the soil is to 



