COMPARISON OF METHODS OK STORING AND SHIPPING. f>7 



Tables XVII and XVIII have been considered together, since both 

 have to do with the same variety of sweet corn. The difference in the 

 quality of these two samples was quite marked when the seed was 

 received. Germination tests were made January 30, 1900, and showed 

 94 per cent for the "A" and 88 per cent for the "B" corn. In 

 November, 1900, samples of seed from the same original packages 

 were tested, giving a germination of 92.4 per cent and 88.5 per cent 

 for the " A " and " B " samples, respectively, as shown in the controls 

 of the above tables. Thus, when two grades of corn are subjected to 

 favorable conditions of storage, both are well preserved; but when 

 subjected to unfavorable conditions, the one of poorer quality is much 

 more susceptible to injury. The "A" sample which was stored in 

 envelopes in trade conditions lost 10.11 per cent, as compared with 

 20.9 per cent for the "B" sample. The "A" sample which was 

 stored in dry rooms lost only 9.81 per cent, while the "B" sample 

 lost 25.00 per cent. In basements, the " A " sample lost 23 per cent 

 and the u B" sample 31.74 per cent. In both samples the corn in the 

 packages stored in the basement at Mobile was so badly molded at the 

 time the second tests were made that they have been omitted from the 

 table. 



The most interesting feature in comparing the results of these two 

 samples is found in the seed which was stored in the bottles. The 

 average results of the "A" samples show a much higher percentage 

 of germination for those from the bottles than the control, while the 

 averages for the " B" sample were much lower than the correspond- 

 ing controls. The average germination of the "B" sample from the 

 bottles was 59.7 per cent for the trade conditions, 48 per cent for dry 

 rooms, and 68.4 per cent for basements, or a loss in vitality of 32.55, 

 45.70, and 22.71 per cent, respectively. This difference was due to 

 two causes, first, a difference in the quality of the seed at the begin- 

 ning of the experiment, and, secondly, the larger amount of water in 

 the second sample, "B." The greater quantity of water present in 

 the seed gave rise to a more humid atmosphere after the seeds were 

 put into the bottles, especially when subjected to higher -temperatures 

 than those in which the seeds had been previously stored. This is an 

 important factor always to be borne in mind when seeds are put up in 

 closed receptacles; they must be well dried if vitality is to be preserved. 



