SEED CORN TESTER 



Fig. 17. A seed tester, showing that most of the grains have vigorous sprouts, that a 

 few have weak sprouts, and that some have not germinated- 



A suitable box for making germination tests can be made 

 from common boards. A convenient size is 20 X 40 inches, 

 and 6 inches in depth. Sawdust is an excellent material 

 to use as a germination bed but it should first be put in a 

 sack and boiled in water in order to kill bacteria and molds. 

 The sawdust should be placed in the box about 3 inches 

 deep and should be kept moist but not wet. 



A piece of good muslin upon which two-inch squares have 

 been marked and numbered to correspond with the ears to 

 be tested, is pulled tightly over the sawdust and tacked se- 

 curely to the sides of the box. The kernels of corn taken 

 from ear No. i are put into square No. i, and from ear No. 

 2, into square No. 2, and so on until all are used. A mois- 

 tened cloth is placed over the kernels and a muslin sack 

 about two inches thick partially filled with sawdust is 

 placed on top of the cloth. 



