54 THE HANDBOOK FOR PRACTICAL FARMERS 



germinating two or three kernels from eacli of a hundred ears 

 selected at random. If they test very high a further test is 

 unnecessary, but if they test ninety per cent or less a detailed 

 test is very necessary. This test may be carried on by (1) the 

 rag doll method, (2) by germinating box of sand or sawdust, 

 or (3) any convenient method whereby a sufficient amount of 

 moisture and heat may be applied to cause good germination. 



The rag-doll method is where kernels are placed on a strip 

 of cotton flannel or any otlier absorbent cloth about six inches 

 wide and thirty-six inches long and rolled uj), tied, and dipped 

 into Avater about body temperature for eight to ten hours, then 

 removed and placed in a Avarm moist condition to germinate. 

 'W^ien the seeds have sprouted well the counts can be made and 

 the poor ears discarded. This method has not always proven 

 satisfactory because conditions have not been kept favorable 

 for germination. 



The sawdust or sand box method is i^robably as good as any 

 other. In this case a box three inches to six inches deep is filled, 

 preferably with sand, marked off by strings placed across it in 

 both directions two and one-half or three inches apart. The 

 spaces thus formed are named (C4, D8, etc.) by lettering the 

 spaces on one side of the box and numbering them on the other. 

 Ears are then numbered to correspond mth the squares and 

 six kernels taken from various parts of each ear and placed 

 in the sand to a depth of one inch, well watered and placed in 

 a warm room for germination. The sand should be kept moist 

 until the test is complete. By this method the strength as well 

 as the percentage of germination can be determined and thus 

 both weak and dead ears discarded. Seed corn testing should 

 always be done during slack time in w^inter. 



In preparing corn for planting it is usually advisable to 

 remove the small kernels at the tip and the irregular kernels 

 at the butt of the ears, not because they will produce less but 

 because the planter will drop more evenly when seed of uniform 

 size are used, consequently a more uniform stand "will result. 



Rotations for maintaining yields of corn. — The term '*crop 

 rotation" is usuall}^ understood to-day to mean a succession 

 of crops on a given area, including grass, grain and a cultivated 

 crop, so that fertility is more or less maintained as well as good 

 tilth of the soil. In the beginning of agriculture in this country, 

 crop rotation was unnecessary because of an over supply of 

 virgin soil. But as this surplus was taken up the maintaining 

 of fertility became more important. It was soon recognized 



