g those that have no place in your planting.

One case is reported in which a seed-dealer intentionally allowed an
impurity of 30 per cent to remain in the crop seeds, and this impurity
was mainly of weed seeds. There were 450,000 of one kind and 288,000 of
another in each pound of seed. Think of planting weeds at that rate!
Sometimes three fourths of the seeds you buy are weed seeds.

In purchasing seeds the only safe plan is to buy of dealers whose
reputation can be relied upon.

It not seldom happens that seeds, like corn, are stored in open cribs or
barns before the moisture is entirely dried out of the seeds. Such seeds
are liable to be frozen during a severe winter, and of course if this
happens they will not sprout the following spring. The only way to tell
whether such seeds have been killed is to test samples of them for
vitality. Testing is easy; replanting is costly and often results in a
short crop.

[Illustration: FIG. 62. IMPURITIES IN SEEDS
Tube 1 represents one pound of redtop grass as bought; Tube 2, amount of
pure redtop grass seeds in Tube 1; Tube 3, amount of chaff and dirt in
Tube 1; Tube 4, amount of weed seeds in Tube 1; Tube 5, amount of total
waste in Tube 1; Tube 6, amount of pure germinable seeds in Tube 1]

=EXERCISE=

Examine seeds both for vitality and purity. Write for farmers'
bulletins on both these subjects. What would be the loss to a
farmer who planted a ten-acre clover field with seeds that were 80
per cent bad? Can you recognize the seeds of the principal
cultivated plants? Germinate some beet seeds. What per cent comes
up? Can you explain? Collect for your school as many kinds of wild
and cultivated seeds as you can.

CHAPTER IV

HOW TO RAISE A FRUIT TREE

Let each pupil grow an apple tree this year and attempt to make it the
best in his neighborhood. In your attempt suppose you try the following
plan. In the fall take the seed of an apple--a crab-apple is good--and
keep it in a cool place during the winter. The simplest way to do this
is to bury it in damp sand. In the spring plant it in a rich, loose
soil.

Great care must be taken of the young shoot as soon as it appears above
the ground. You want to make it grow as tall and as straight as possible
during this first year of its life, hence you should give it rich soil
and protect it from animals. Before the ground freezes in the fall take
up the young tree with the soi