20 



NATURE STUDY REVIEW [8 :1— Jan., 1912 



(2) a box for the testing. The 

 rack may be made from a piece 

 of pine about four inches square, 

 cut to an octagon giving eight 

 sides for storage, and of a con- 

 venient height, supported on a 

 broad base, so that it will stand 

 upright. Then, on all sides 8d 

 finishing nails are driven in, 

 slanting upward slightly, and 

 far enough apart to hold the 

 ears of corn. Each nail is then 

 numbered, and the butts of the 

 ears which are to be tested are 

 driven onto the nails. A rack 

 with shelves may also be used 

 if more convenient. A rack of 

 suitable size is one that is about 

 four feet wide and six feet high. 

 The shelves are made of six inch 

 boards and are placed three 

 inches apart. Nails are then, 

 driven into the shelves, so that 

 they partition each shelf into 

 three inch spaces. These spaces 

 are then numbered, and the corn 

 to be tested is placed in the 

 numbered spaces. Ears may al- 

 so be hung by the double string 

 method, or placed side by side 

 on planks, the ears separated by 

 nails. 



A germination-box of conven- 

 ient size is one that is twenty- 

 two inches to twenty-four inches 

 square, and four inches deep. A 

 box of this size will test easily 

 one hundred ears. Before mak- 

 ing the test, the box should be 

 filled witli moist sand or sawdust, 

 to within \\ inches of the top. Then a moistened cloth, can- 

 ton flannel preferred, is placed over the wet sawdust. This cloth 

 however, should first be marked off into two inch squares. The 



Fig. 8. Rack for Holding 

 Ears of Corn to Be Tksted. 



