by improving the texture of the soil by means of thorough tillage and
the use of organic matter.




CHAPTER IX

SEEDS


CONDITIONS NECESSARY FOR SEEDS TO SPROUT

In the spring comes the great seed-planting time on the farm, in the
home garden and in the school garden. Many times the questions will be
asked: Why didn't those seeds come up? How shall I plant seeds so as
to help them sprout easily and grow into strong plants? To answer
these questions, perform a few experiments with seeds, and thus find
out what conditions are necessary for seeds to sprout, or germinate.
For these experiments you will need a few teacups, glass tumblers or
tin cans, such as tomato cans or baking-powder cans; a few plates,
either of tin or crockery; some wide-mouth bottles that will hold
about half a pint, such as pickle, olive, or yeast bottles or
druggists' wide-mouth prescription bottles; and a few pieces of cloth.
Also seeds of corn, garden peas and beans.

=Experiment.=--Put seeds of corn, garden peas, and beans (about a
handful of each) to soak in bottles or tumblers of water. Next day,
two hours earlier in the day, put a duplicate lot of seeds to soak.
When this second lot of seeds has soaked two hours, you will have two