114 



MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT, 



precautions are taken to test such corn before planting, very poor stands 

 will certainly result. If only corn of strong vitality were planted, with 

 due consideration to securing a uniform distr-ibntion of seed, the stand 

 on average seasons should not run nnich under 95 per cent. Such a 

 stand means a long step in the direction of a profitable corn crop. 



Test the I'itaUfy of Corn in a Germinating Box. — It is perfectly 

 practical for the average farmer to test for germination every ear of 

 corn he plants, and wdiere corn has not been carefully preserved this 

 should always be done. It has been found that if an ear is lacking in vital- 

 ity, the character is shared to a great extent by the majority of the kernels 

 on that ear ; consequently if a half dozen kernels are selected from dif- 

 ferent parts of the ear and tested, a very good idea of the strength of 

 germination of that particular ear may be obtained. The method of 

 doing this is as follows : Lay out the ears selected on a long board or 

 on the crib floor, marking a number opposite each. Prepare a box two, 



Figure i. 



GermlaallnK Box. The cloth on which the sand is placed is rolled back to show the 

 squares holdiug the corn. 



or three inches deep and two or three feet square (Fig. 2) nailing the 

 bottom on tightly in order that it will not war]) when it l)ecomes wet. 

 Place in the bottom of the box a half to three-([uarters of an inch of sand 

 and moisten thoroughly. Cut a piece of white cloth to fit the box and 

 mark it off with a pencil into squares 2 to 23/2 inches in size, numbering 

 them from one up, laying the cloth on the sand. Now remove two 



