32 Nebraska Agricultural Exp. Station Research Bul. 10 
of twenty-four hours. That is, one lot of ears consisting of four 
or five from each stage of maturity was subjected to a tempera- 
ture ranging from 28° to 32° F. A similar lot was subjected to 
a range from 20° to 24° F. ; another from 12° to 10° F. ; another 
from 4° to 8° F. ; and still another from — 5° to 0° F. The 
ears were placed in the freezing chamber within an hour or 
two after being brought from the field. The temperature was 
then lowered to the desired degree as quickly as possible. For 
the higher temperature and for the range below zero, from one 
to two hours were required, while for the intermediate tempera- 
tures three to four hours were required. The difference in 
length of time was due to the difference in the degree of cold 
and in the apparatus used. After exposure to the cold, no 
attempt wr.s made to bring the corn gradually to a higher tem- 
perature, but it was removed from the freezing chamber and 
exposed at once to the air temperature. It was then placed in 
a screen wire box which was set in a warm, dry. airy place. 
Here the ears dried quickly, so that but little loss from damp 
or mouldy seed was experienced. All freezing tests except those 
in a special experiment in 1916 were made with ear corn from 
which the husks had been removed. 
GERMINATION 
After the samples had been subjected to freezing tempera- 
tures and had remained in storage until thorolv cured, ger- 
mination tests were made from each section. The corresponding 
section from the same ear which had not been exposed to the 
freezing temperature was placed in germination test at the same 
time. The percentage germination of the latter serves as a 
standard with which the germinative ability of the exposed 
part may be compared, or by which the effect on vitality of 
exposure to the low temperatures may be measured. 
The germination tes\s were made between blotting papers 
on moist sawdust. Wet burlap was used as a covering over the 
blotting paper. The germination boxes were placed in a warm 
incubator having a temperature of 30° C. and allowed to remain 
for six days, when the counts were made. The germination 
percentages unless otherwise stated mean perfect germination 
with prospects for normal development. 
OBSERVATION OF ICE IN SEED 
Because of the supposed relation between the formation 
of ice within plant tissues and death by freezing, observations 
were made regarding the temperature at which freezing actually 
