io62 



Rural School Leaf: et. 



7. Trueness to type or race characteristics. — The ears selected for an 

 exhibit or for breeding purposes should be uniform in size, shape, color, 

 indentation, and size of kernel. They should also be true to the name of 

 the variety. 



TESTING THE GERMINATION OF SEED CORN 

 Milton Pratt Jones 



IT is highly important every year that the ears of 

 corn which are to be used for seed be tested as to 

 their ability to germinate. The boys and girls 

 can test the seed corn to be used on the whole 

 farm and can feel that their work really amounts 

 to something. 



The first process in the preparation of the seed 

 com is the selection of the best ears. The 

 preceding lesson tells how to select the best 

 ears. 



Select of good ears a considerable number more 

 than will be necessary to plant a crop of the size 

 desired and then test the germination of each of 

 these ears by the following method: 



Method of testing germination 



The simplest way to test sufficient ears for the com crop on the 

 averaged sized farm is by means of the germinating box, described by 

 Prof. Holden. Almost any sort of a box of a depth of from four to 

 eight inches and of a size depending on the number of ears to be tested 

 can be used. Soap boxes or tomato can boxes, which can be obtained 

 at any grocery store, are perfectly satisfactory. Do not use any box 

 so large that it cannot be carried around easily by one man. The box 

 should be half filled with sand or sawdust, preferably sawdust thoroughly 

 moistened, but not saturated. This layer of sawdust should be two 

 or three inches deep, and should be packed down so that the surface 

 will be even and smooth. 



A piece of white cloth slightly larger than the size of the box should 

 be ruled off with a lead pencil, checkerboard fashion, into squares ij 

 to 2J inches in size. Each square should be numbered consecutively 

 from one upward. This cloth should now be placed over and in close 

 contact with the sawdust or sand, and tacked to the comers and sides 

 of the bo3f. 



