98 



or valueless matter, while the presence of ob- 

 noxious weed seed is an entirely different matter. 

 Not only has a very high price been paid for this 

 material, but weed pests may be introduced into 

 the garden which may never be completely eradi- 

 cated and cause untold losses. 



The vitality of the seed has to do with its'power 

 to germinate and grow, and it is at this point that 

 the vegetable gardener is most 

 likely to suffer. Many seeds lose 

 their vitality very rapidly, and all 

 seeds lose it sooner or later. The 

 onion and parsnip rarely germinate 

 satisfactorily after the first year, 

 while cucumber, melon and squash 

 may give satisfactory results after 

 eight or ten years. In every case, 

 however, the percentage of vitality 

 decreases from year to year until 

 lost entirely. There are many rea- 

 sons for the total or partial loss 

 of vitality in seed, some of which 

 are not visible to the naked eye. 

 Thorough testing of the seeds for 

 vitality before planting becomes 

 absolutely essential if the best re- 

 sults are to be secured. Seeds 

 are sometimes gathered from im- 

 mature plants or the plants have 

 been injured by insects or diseases during their 

 season's growth. They may have been stored too 

 wet or they may have been frozen before thoroughly 

 air dried. In the drying process they are sometimes 

 overheated, although this rarely occurs except where 

 artificial heat is used. 



HAND TRANSPLANTER 



