142 



PRODUCTIVE FARMING 



spread over it a layer of wet sawdust. Keep the box in a 

 warm room for two weeks or less, keeping it damp all the time. 



FIG. 76. Germination test of corn, showing healthy and weak germination f Aeri- 

 cultural Education.) 



The Results. Raise the top cloth and thus remove the 

 upper layer of sawdust. Look over the germination cloth 

 and see what ears fail to give a perfect result. These should 

 be removed and not used for seed (Fig. 76). 



FIG. 76o. Rag doll tester for individual ears. 



Rag Doll Tester. One of the simplest methods of test- 

 ing corn, or seed of any kind, is to roll it in wet cloth and keep 

 it damp until it has time to germinate. 



The individual ears should be numbered before the test. 

 Take a piece of cloth, say 12 by 36 inches. Mark it off in the 

 manner shown in the diagram (Fig. 76a), using a soft black 

 pencil. Take five kernels at random from the first ear to 

 place on space numbered 1. Continue this for the thirty ears 



