292 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



tubes 3 feet long, you will get at the real truth, which the lamp chimneys will nut 

 show, because the water in the sand rises very rapidly for a short time, but it is later 

 overtaken and passed by the water in the clay. Can you explain this result? 



Study 3. — To show the effectiveness of a dust mulch. 



Apparatus needed. — Two 1 or 2 gallon buckets or cans with holes in the bottom, and 

 a quantity of soil. Also, a scale which will weigh 25 or more pounds. Both buckets 

 should be alike in size. 



Procedure. — Fill one bucket full of water-saturated soil. It is best to wet it as it is 

 put into the bucket. Fill the other bucket with the same kind of soil in the same 

 condition, except do not fill entirely full. Leave a depth of about 2 inches. Let the 

 buckets stand a day or two until they have drained. Then fill the one to the top with 

 loose dry soil. This soil need not be very finely pulverized. Press down the surface 

 of the other bucket so that it is rather compact. Weigh both buckets and make a 

 note of the weights. Keep the buckets in any conveniently warm place, or in fine 

 weather set them out of doors. Weigh the buckets every three days for two weeks. 

 Keep records of the weights. 



Observations. — Under which condition is the most weight lost? What is this loss in 

 weight? To what is it due? Make the application to farm practice. Calculate what 

 the loss in moisture amounts to in tons of water per acre of area. How many inches 

 of rainfall does this represent? Will it pay to keep the top soil loose in the cornfield 

 in July and August? 



Study 9. — To show the germination of seeds. 



Apparatus needed. — Two, four, or more dinner plates; two, four, or more pieces of 

 canton flannel, 4 inches square, and some seeds for testing, say corn and beans. 



Procedure. — Dampen the cloths and lay one on a plate; upon this put twenty-five 

 of each kind of seeds to be tested. Put a second cloth over these seeds, having it 

 pretty wet. Over all, turn a second plate to prevent evaporation. Fix as many sets 

 of plates and as many kinds of seeds as you wish. Watch the cloths that they do not 

 become too dry. Also, be careful not to make them too wet. Keep at a temperature 

 of 70 to 85° F. 



Observations. — Note the time elapsing until the seed coats begin to burst. "Which 

 part of the new plant appears first, the root or stem part? Is there any difference in 

 the disposition of the cotyledons (seed leaves) in the different kinds of seeds? Look 

 for the root hairs; what do you think their office is? Find the hardened cap at the 

 end of the root; this is the root cap. WTiat do you think its ofiice is? ^^^lat is the 

 first step in germination? Does the process of germination teach anything about the 

 preparation of the seed bed? Calculate the per cent of seeds that germinate. Try 

 seeds of different ages. Do the germs of all the seeds of the same kind show the same 

 degree of activity? Wliy not? Can you tell whether a kernel of corn will grow by 

 examining the germ? If you can not, get some one to show you. This, however, is 

 not as accurate as the germination test. 



iVb^f.^This exercise has a very practical use to the farmer. Much time, labor, and 

 money would be saved each year if farmers would test their seed com as well as other 

 seeds. To test seed corn, divide the corn to be tested into lots of ten ears each. Take 

 five kernels from different parts of each ear and treat them as above, using one plate 

 for each ten ears. If four or more kernels on a plate fail to germinate, the entire ten 

 ears should be thrown out or each ear tested by itself. Instead of plates, the kernels 

 may be placed on pieces of paper and the ends folded over and a number of these 

 folders placed in a cigar box where they can be kept moist and be easily examined. 



