THE 52 



GARDEN YARD " 



more corn without any additional labor or ex- 

 pense. That is one trick in making farming 

 pay. It is a trick that holds good with every 

 garden crop as well as with corn. It won't do to 

 wait until harvest time to find out if the seed 

 you have planted is any good, if you have to 

 buy your seed and want to make a profit 

 from your garden the first season. This simple 

 method of testing seeds may save you time and 

 money. Get your seed early in the season, 

 select about one hundred and put them between 

 two moist pieces of flannel, which in turn are 

 placed between two soup plates. Keep the 

 flannel moist (not soaking wet with water stand- 

 ing in the dishes), and as soon as the seeds have 

 sprouted, count the proportion of live ones. 

 If only a few of them have sprouted, you will 

 know that you cannot afford to give ground up 

 to the use of such poor seed. The larger the 

 proportion of your test seeds that sprout, or 

 " germinate," as this process is called, the better 

 for your profit, if you plant from this same stock 

 or assortment. 



Be sure you deal with a seed house that has a 

 reputation at stake; and if possible go there 

 yourself and see the man who really knows 

 about seed: generally there is only about one 

 man in a concern who does know his business. 



