lOO MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



as clean and white as pussiblc. Such sand will be less likely to mould 

 than that which has much organic matter in it. This makes it much 

 more desirable for use in testing, for moulds interfere with the germina- 

 tion of the corn. After the sand is placed on the plate, it should be 

 moistened. This can best be done with a small sprinkler, but if one is 

 not at hand, the water may be poured carefully out of any small vessel 

 or sprinkled with the hand. After sprinkling the water on the sand, 

 it is well to mix the sand with the fingers until it is all equally moist. Do 

 not saturate the sand with water. Special caution is necessary in this 

 respect, for if the sand is too wet, the corn will fail to germinate for lack 

 of air. Numerous failures have been reported in testing corn on plates 

 of sand, the most of which probably resulted from having the sand too 

 wet. 



Having the sand properly placed and moistened, the kernels to be 

 tested should be pressed into the sand, small end down, in order as they 

 are taken from the ear. While taking the kernels from the ear, hold it 

 in the left hand and remove with a pocket-knife or a pair of small, strong 

 tweezers, a kernel two inches from the butt of the ear. A little practice 

 will make it easy to remove a kernel with the knife and hold it between 

 the thumb and the knife blade until it is put in place in the sand. Then 

 turn the ear one-fourth around and take another kernel in the same 

 manner, say two inches nearer the tip; then turn the ear the same dis- 

 tance again and take another kernel two inches nearer the tip. For the 

 fourth kernel, turn the ear again one-fourth around and take the kernel 

 about two inches from the tip. Four kernels is a large enough number 

 to take from one ear for practical work. If they are properly taken, 

 they represent both ends and all sides of the ear, so far as vitality is con- 

 cerned. The four kernels from each ear must be placed in a separate 

 group, and it is best that the group be marked or numbered to corre- 

 spond. 



The Germinating Room. — After the kernels of corn are all placed 

 as described above, they should be covered by turning a second plate 

 over them to prevent too rapid evaporation of the moisture from the 

 sand. They may then be left in a warm temperature to sprout. As 

 fast as the kernels are well germinated, they should be removed from 

 the sand, and a careful record taken of the number which have sprouted. 

 It has been proved by experiment that the best temperature for germinat- 

 ing corn is yy degrees F. This is only a little higher than the temper- 

 ature of an ordinary living-room. More harm will result from a con- 

 siderable decrease of temperature than from a slight increase. 



On the average farm it is not necessary to construct a special room 



