SEEDS AND SEEDING lOI 



back, which leaves the seeds exposed to view. A 

 comparatively simple and inexpensive tester, espe- 

 cially for the smaller seeds, may be made by using 

 two dinner plates and two pieces o£ cloth, pref- 

 erably flannel. One piece of cloth is moistened and 

 spread over the first plate, the seeds are counted 

 and placed in position on the same. The other 

 cloth is moistened and spread over them and the 

 second plate inverted over all. The inverted plate 

 prevents the drying out of the cloth, and with occa- 

 sional sprinkling sufficient moisture is retained for 

 satisfactory germination. Several samples of small 

 seeds may be germinated at one time by this ap- 

 paratus. In large gardens specially prepared ger- 

 minators and ovens may be found desirable. The 

 principal thing to be remembered, after all, is to 

 keep the seeds moist and comparatively warm, yet 

 in such a condition as to allow a free circulation of 

 air about them. Most beginners keep the seed too 

 moist for best results. The temperature of the 

 ordinary living room (68° to 70° F.) will be satis- 

 factory for most seeds. 



The difficulties sometimes encountered in secur- 

 ing satisfactory seed has led many people to believe 

 that better results may be secured by saving their 

 seed at home. Except under rare conditions, this 

 assumption is very likely to prove fallacious. This 

 is especially true of the average home gardener as 

 well as the small truck gardener. The seed busi- 

 ness is a highly specialized one and requires years 

 of experience and training to successfully conduct 

 the same. Commercial seeds are usually grown 

 under the best conditions for their growth and de- 

 velopment, which is not generally the case when 

 grown indiscriminately in the gardens of the country. 



