14 



SEEDAGE. 



The seed-tester (No. rr) set up. 



ized ill 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 I Xo. 35 ] of the Rhode Island Experi- 

 ment Station describes and illustrates a modilication of 

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

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

 made fir this station out of ponms clay by A. H. Hews 

 >.S: Co., of North Cambridge, .Mass., the pattern being 

 nuK h like that used at the Seed Control Station at Zurich, 

 Switzerland. They are 3 inches in diameter and i^ 



inches high, including 

 the cover, which is ven- 

 tilated, as shown in Fig. 

 13. The bottom is solid 

 and '2-inch thick. Each 

 cup is placed in a glass 

 dish in which a constant 

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

 " Sjirouting chamber" (Fig. 141, supjilied with unif)rm 

 heat. "This hi.ilds about llt'ly cups. Ileat is su]iplied 

 l>y a gas jet, which is supported beneath the chamber, 

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

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

 \"ided with two doors, the inner one being glass. There 

 is an oix-ning in the side and tup for \-ent\lating, and a 

 second opening in the tup for the insertion of a thermum- 

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



7J. Sj»OUl, 



