FARM HANDICRAFT FOR SCHOOLS. 
17 
the kernels will not push out of place. If a small irregular-shaped piece of wood or 
some other substance is used as a core in rolling, a more uniform germination may 
be secured. When the rolling of the cloth has been finished, tie a string rather 
loosely about the middle of the roll, or, better still, use a rubber band, and number 
this roll No. 1. Then proceed with roll No. 2 in the same way. As many rolls may 
be used as are necessary to contain the corn which one has to test. From 20 to 50 
ears may be tested in each roll, depending upon the. length. 
After the rolls have been filled they should be placed in a bucket of water, where 
they may remain for from 2 to 18 hours, depending upon the preference of the operator. 
At the end of this time pour off the water and turn the bucket upside down over the 
rolls — or a common dry-goods box may be 
used for this purpose. A couple of small 
pieces of wood should preferably be laid under 
the rolls, and one edge of the pail should be 
lifted from \ to 1 inch in order to give suf- 
ficient ventilation. Some have left the pail 
in an upright position, placing a few sticks or 
corncobs in the bottom of the pail to insure 
proper drainage, and then packing a moist, 
coarse cloth over the rolls to prevent exces- 
sive drying. At the end of five days the 
kernels should be ready to read. 
Depending upon the arrangement of the 
ears, select, first, either roll No. 1 or the last 
roll filled. This cloth will be unrolled in 
front of the ears which are represented. Ex- 
amine all the kernels carefully. In all cases 
in which all six kernels are not strong in 
germination the ear should be thrown away. 
Note to Teacher. — One of the very best 
lines of agricultural work for schools is the 
testing of seed corn. It is a means of get- 
ting, not only the pupils, but also the parents 
interested in agriculture. Often the latter is 
a very important consideration in the success 
of the work. It pays to test seed corn, for it 
is often the means of preventing a poor stand 
or the replanting of a crop. 
Fig. 25.— Seed-corn drying rack. 
As correlations with the agricul- 
tural work and the manual-training 
exercise, have the pupils compute the 
value of the lumber in a box, the value of the time to make it, the 
cost in time of testing, say, 100 ears of corn, and use the figures 
obtained in formulating problems to determine whether or not the 
testing of seed corn is an expensive practice. 
EXERCISE V. SEED-CORN DRYING RACK. 
Seed corn should be stored in a cool, dry place, and the ears should 
be kept apart, in order that air can circulate freely about them. A 
very convenient and easily constructed rack is shown in figure 25. 
To make this rack, rip a piece of 2 by 4 inch in strips 2 by 2 inches 
80746°— Bull. 527—17 3 
