14 



SEEDAGE. 



12. The seed-tester (No. n) set up 



ized in the testing of seeds— the capillary power of earth- 

 enware and various 

 species of rock — and 

 there are many appli- 

 cations of the idea in 

 practice. These seed- 

 testers may be placed 

 in an incubator or 

 other heating device, 

 or they may be used 

 in the greenhouse or 

 a living-room. 



A recent bulletin (No. 35) of the Rhode Island Experi- 

 ment Station describes and illustrates a modification of 

 the absorbing-block idea. Instead of a slab of stone or 

 earthenware, "sprouting cups" are used. "These were 

 made for this station; out of porous clay by A. H. Hews 

 & Co., of Norlh Cambridge, .Mass., the pattern being 

 much like that used at tlie Seed Control Station at Zurich, 

 S\vit7i'rland. They an- ;, inches in diameter and i^i 



inches high, including 

 the cover, which is ven- 

 tilated, as shown in Fig. 

 13. The bottom is solid 

 and li-inch thick. Each 

 cup is placed in a glass 

 '3- Sp'oiuuig c.p. jj^,^ i,, ^^,,^;^,^ ^ constant 



supply of water is kept." These cups are placed in a 

 "sprouting chamber" (Fig. 14), supplied with uniform 

 heat. "This holds about fifty cups. Heat is supplied 

 by a gas jet, whicli is supported beneath the chamber, 

 and it is distributed evenly to all sides of the chamber, 

 except the front, by means of a water-jacket. It is pro- 

 vided with two doors, the inner one being glass. There 

 is an opening in the side and top for ventilating, and a 

 second opening in the top for the insertion of a thermom- 

 eter. There are also two openings into the water-jacket 



