cotyledon if there is but one portion, cotyledons if two. Thus we are
aided in the classification of plants. A few plants that bear cones like
the pines have several cotyledons. But most plants have either one or
two cotyledons.

"Some plantlets, as they develop and start to push above the ground,
bear along the cotyledon. This is true in the case of the bean. Jack and
Peter have planted corn and beans in this box, not to have succotash but
to show you about the habits of seeds. See the bean plantlet, big,
sturdy, fellow, is still clinging to its seed leaves or cotyledons, its
baby nourishment. Now look at the corn: there is absolutely no sign
above ground of its one seed leaf.

"So from large seeds come the strongest plantlets. That is the reason
why it is better and safer to choose the large seed. It is the same case
exactly as that of weak children. Look at Myron, great strapping fellow!
Hasn't he a fine chance in the world? Do you remember that little sickly
boy who was in school last spring? He was as old as Myron, yet see how
handicapped he is. Try not to bring weak little plantlets into the plant
world. Bring strong, sturdy, healthy ones by careful seed selection.

"There is often another trouble in seeds that we buy. The trouble is
impurity. Seeds are sometimes mixed with other seeds so like them in
appearance that it is impossible to detect the fraud. Pretty poor
business, is it not? The seeds may be unclean. Bits of foreign matter in
with large seed are very easy to discover. One can merely pick the seed
over and make it clean. By clean is meant freedom from foreign matter.
But if small seed are unclean, it is very difficult, well nigh
impossible, to make them clean.

"The third thing to look out for in seed is viability. We know from our
testings that seeds which look to the eye to be all right may not
develop at all. There are reasons. Seeds may have been picked before
they were ripe or mature; they may have been frozen; and they may be too
old. Seeds retain their viability or germ developing power, a given
number of years and are then useless. There is a viability limit in
years which differs for different seeds. This matter, along with
directions for testing, the girls may get from our club secretary,
Albert. All of this we took up last year in our preliminary garden work
before we started outdoor work.

"From the test of seeds we find out the germination percentage of seeds.
Now if this percentage