66 A YEAR IN AGRICULTURE 



VIII. TESTING SEED CORN 



Will the corn grow? The farmer plants corn in the belief 

 that it will grow. Why should not every kernel sprout 

 and produce a good stalk to bear a good ear? Perhaps it 

 would if every condition were made right. The kernel itself 

 is the first condition; it ought to be in perfect growing con- 

 dition. The corn judge or the man selecting seed from the 

 crib can not make a germinating test; he must be guided 

 by appearances. "What are some of the evidences that corn 

 will probably grow? 



If the ear is firm in the hands, the kernels tight in their 

 places, and no evidence of decay seen at the butt, it may 

 be supposed that the corn is matured and well developed. 

 The kernels should be hard arid dry and without dullness of 

 color; they should be of a fairly large and regular size, with 

 large and healthy germs, and there should be no sign of mold. 

 The tips of vigorous kernels are never thin and shrunken. 

 They should be free from cracks and blisters, and tip caps 

 should completely cover the tips of the shelled kernels. The 

 corn should be dry, firm, and bright colored. A damp 

 moldy cob indicates weakness in the germ, and it may mean 

 that the germs are already dead. 



The germination test. The final proof that the corn will 

 grow is the germination test. . The man who risks a large 

 share of his year's labor in his cornfield ought to be per- 

 fectly sure that his seed is good; the actual sprouting of a 

 few grains from every ear will make him perfectly sure. 



The test-box. Make a box of any convenient- size. A 



