EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 



179 



is now dipped in water until thoroughly wet, then squeezed partly dry, after which 

 the counted seeds are to be sprinkled over one-half of the cloth and the other half 

 folded over upon the seeds. This is placed in the larger plate and covered with 

 the smaller plate or the piece of glass to prevent drying out. If thin cloth is used 

 it should be folded across two or three times in opposite directions to secure suffi- 

 cient thickness. 



Prepared in this way several samples may be placed in the same dish which is 

 to be kept in a room where i.he temperature is comfortable for a person to live, 

 and where the night temperature does not fall much below 50°. By using a larger 

 number of seeds the accuracy of the test is increased, however, it is well to use 

 some number, like one hundred, which enables one to readily estimate the per 

 cent of vitality. If two or more lots of seeds are being tested in the same dish 

 they should be carefully labeled to avoid mistakes. This may be done by marking 

 a number on the cloth with ink or colored pencil, before wetting, this number to 

 correspond with a similar number on a sheet of paper. This sheet should also 

 have a record of the date when the seeds were placed in the tester. The seeds 

 may be examined every twenty-four hours, the seeds which have germinated 

 and have sprouts about one-fourth inch long being removed, counted and recorded 



Fig. 4. — The seeds folded in the cloth and covered with a plate of glass. 



on the sheet of paper, after which they are thrown away. At the end of ten days 

 the total number of seeds which have sprouted out of a hundred, will represent the 

 per cent of vitality of the seed. Some seeds do not sprout as quickly as others 

 and the length of time for making the test will need to be somewhat lengthened. 

 Thus with sugar beet seed it is customary to allow fourteen days for the com- 

 pletion of the test, although the number sprouted at the end of one week is 

 estimated. 



"VVitb large seeds like those of corn, peas, beans, etc., a little time may be gained 

 by soaking in water for a few hours before placing them in the tester. The cloth 

 should not be kept too wet or the seeds will tend to rot but if they are getting too 

 dry, a little water may be sprinkled on the cloth. If it is desired to use the 

 cloth again for testing seeds it should be dipped for a few minutes in boiling water 

 to destroy any molds which may be growing on it. A soup plate of sand may also 

 be used for testing seeds, especially large ones. In this case the seeds may be 

 placed on the sand, which has been moistened and leveled, and covered with about 

 one-fourth to one-half inch of sand and again moistened, or they may be laid 

 on the level sand and covered with a moistened piece of cloth, the whole to be 

 covered with a pane of glass, " • 



