﻿BULLETIN 1129, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF KERNELS. 



Fifty kernels of milo and 50 kernels of feterita were measured 

 with a micrometer in three directions. 2 As the kernels lay on a flat 

 surface, the vertical diameter was called the thickness, the distance 

 from the liilum to the opposite end the length, and the dimension at 

 right angles to these the width. The maximum^ minimum, and 

 average dimensions are given in Tables 1 and 2. 



Table 1. — Measurements of 50 kernels of divarf milo. 



Dimensions. 



Maxi- 



Mini- 



mum. 



mum. 



Milli- 



Milli- 



meters. 



meters. 



3.12 



2.31 



5.05 



2.69 



5.13 



2.81 



Aver- 

 age. 



Thickness 

 Width.... 

 Length... 



Milli- 

 meters. 

 2.88 

 4.47 

 4.42 



Fig. 1. — Sections of kafir kernels showing (A ) germ, (B) starchy endosperm, ( C ) horny endosperm. 



One thousand kernels of milo weighed 33.9 grams. Therefore, 

 one kernel weighs on an average 0.0339 gram. Calculated from the 

 measurements recorded in Table 1, the average volume of these 

 kernels is 29.8 cubic millimeters and the surface of such a kernel is 

 48.3 square millimeters. 



Table 2. — Measurements of 50 kernels of dwarf feterita. 



Dimensions. 



Maxi- 



Mini- 



mum. 



mum. 



Milli- 



ma* 



meters. 



meters. 



3.12 



2.28 



4.82 



3.83 



4.85 



3.76 



Aver- 



Thickness 

 Width.... 

 Length . . . 



Mffli- 

 meters. 

 2.76 

 4. IS 

 4.39 



One thousand kernels of feterita weighed 32.7 grams. Therefore, 

 one kernel weighs on an average 0.0327 gram. Calculated from the 

 measurements recorded in Table 2, the average volume of these 



5 The feterita and milo used in this work were obtained from the Office of Cereal Investigations, Bureau of 

 Plant Industry, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and were identified under the following numbers: 

 Dwarf Milo C. I. 332 and Feterita C. I. 182. 



