TESTING THE GERMINATIVE CAPACITY OF SEEDS 99 
There are a number of germinators on the market, but, if one 
is not available, a box of moist soil or sand, or moist rags which 
are rolled up with the seeds within are good germinators when 
properly handled. (Fig. 93.) A very good germinator is made 
with two dinner plates and blotting paper as shown in Figure 94. 
During the test a temperature suitable for the germination of 
the kind of seeds involved must be maintained. Some prefer to 
keep the temperature near that of the soil, so as to more nearly 
Fic. 93. — Doll rag testers, consisting of moist rags properly labeled and 
rolled up with the seeds within. After H. D. Hughes. 
imitate the soil conditions under which most seeds do not germi- 
nate so well as they do in germinators. The germinator should 
be opened each day to note the germinated seeds and to allow the 
entrance of fresh air, if ventilation is not otherwise provided. At 
the end of the germinative period, the results are usually ex- 
pressed in percentages found by dividing the number of germinated 
seeds by the number in the lot and multiplying by 100. Thus if 
ea = 95 per cent. The 
percentage of germination will vary for different lots and the 
190 of a lot of 200 germinated, 
