Freezing Injury of Seed Corn 
61 
EFFECTS OF MORE SEVERE FREEZING, 1915 
On the morning of Xovember 9, while the frost was still on, 
a number of ears were examined in the field for ice formation 
in the kernels. Moisture samples were taken from these ears 
and germination tests were made later. After rather severe 
freezing on Xovember 14, and again on the loth, observations 
were made, the same being taken as in the previous case. The 
data are compiled in Table 23. One interesting thing shown in 
this table is that ice formation in the kernel is not necessarily 
fatal to the vitality of the grain, also that the freezing of 
Xovember 9 with a minimum of 30° F. and lasting five hours 
was not of sufficient duration to affect germination. From the 
data of Xovember 15 it is interesting to note that even those 
ears on which the kernels were a solid frozen mass gave a fair 
per cent of germination. In these cases, however, the viability 
plainly was reduced. 
Table 23 — Germinative ability of corn which was exposed in 
the field to the freezing temperatures of autumn , 1915^ 
Extent of freezing in kernels 
Moisture 
content 1 
Germination 
CORN GATHERED NOVEMBER 9 
Per cent 
Per cent 
SECOND LIGHT FREE'E 
Not frozen, no ice found in kernels 
36.0 
100 
Not frozen, no ice found in kernels 
32.2 
100 
Not frozen, no ice found in kernels 
31.3 
100 
Ice -'ound in the base of some of the kernels 
39.1 
100 
Ice found in the base of some of the kernels 
30.7 
100 
Ice found in the base of some of the kernels 
41.9 
100 
Ice found in the base of some of the kernels 
41.8 
100 
Ice found in the base of some of the kernels 
CORN GATHERED NOVEMBER 15 
47.8 
100 
FIRST SEVERE FREE'E 
Whole kernel frozen solid 
53.3 
67 
Germ frozen solid, rest of kernel not frozen 
43.4 
67 
Ice in base of kernel, germ and endosperm not frozen . 
26.3 
75 
Not frozen, no ice found in kernel 
16.9 
100 
1 See Tables 24 and 25 for freezing temperatures prior to November 15. 
