Oakes Republican. (Oakes, N.D.) 1898-1906, 1901-03-08
be actually dead other grain may
grow but be too weak to produce y

and became hot Enough in the bin to
be noticed when the hand was thrust
into it has been considerably injured
for seed purposes.
If after being threshed and stored
wet it has become moldy or musty,
caked together. If will be very much
the safest thing 70 get better type
OF grain for seedspurposes,
1t tiax seed has become hot enough
at any time so as TO change its color
to brick led orsdarker, most of it is
practically dead:s Wheat which has
been really "hota in the bin may be
wholly dead, Ia is not safe to use it
at ali unless a good germination test
is made.
Grain which has been stored in the
bin SO that it has been subject to
moisture and freezing and thawing
will be sure to have large percen-
tage OF the grams entirely dead and
ma ny others so weak that it will be
impossible for them to send them up
plants sufficiently strong to be Of
m Nh crop valae
Test Your Own Seed Grain.-One
reason fpr making this statement is
that whoeyer has tested his own seed
grain and Asarnad how to tell when il
is weak and when it is strong, will
have gained apE ability which will
msan much mohsy to him every year
that he farms, tlle>pther reason is that
though less thal . month ago I
promised to test samples OF seed
grain if they We're sentsxo the station,
there is a limit, Eand We now have
more letters concerning seed grain
aud samples to be tested thap we can
write answers toS in the next three
weeks. The regular college aid sta
ton work takes most of the times of
'ch day, leaving but an hour Or 40
for this work. Ihe number of sans
pies arriving eaeh day assures me
t'at it will be impossible for uyyto
make the number of tests desired.
Answers will be- sgiven to tk6se on
h md as fast as time perm!ts.
How to test he growj6g qualities
OF seed grain Iheresare two simple
ways IN which apyeae, who has pa
tielce to do aYng carefully and
well, can do thYNork Of testing the
germiuat'ng s6Vngth OF any ordinary
sample OF grains One way is known
a ihe dilkdest.E Get a large fat pan
o: pot eFboN, fiIl it with nice even
q laitFof garden earth, or better,
puregand, RulI the seed through
thsFfauniny milf until you have blown
GIT all the lighs weak stuff, that is
1haye it as you wish it for sowing.
CUNT out 100 81 the grains as you
,me at them. sPlant them in the
dirt, each grainzexactly one-half inch
deep OF three-fourths Of au inch deep
a, you may choose, keep the dirt just
nicely moist at all times. Keep the
box in a room in which the tempera-
ture does not faal lower than 60 de.
grees Fahrenheit and in a place
wnere it will nd get hotter than so
degrees, A variation within these
limits will do ne particular harm to
the seed. Youcau count the plants
When they appear above the surface
f1r enough TO pill each plant. You
will be able to Gee how many make
strong growth sand how many are
actually dead after five or ten days.
Another way of making a test
which is quicker and one which you
W II enjoy if yop test large number
of samples is called the blanket test.
Tnere are number of seed pans
waich cost considerable money made
upon this plan gr some variation of it.
Take a large SHALLOW pan and put
about an inch IF water in it. Take a
smaller pan ana turn upside down in
tne water. A deep plate will do for
this if pan is hot available. Take a
C can piece Of cptton cloth. Boil it
in water 10 kill sany mold or ether
spores that ma be upon it. Cover
the Inverted pan with one end Of the
cloth SO that tip end will hang down
into the water.a Put the grains of
wheat or other Seed upon this CLOTH
Let a fold OF tiB cloth extend down
into he water. Then cover the seed
with this cloth.g ) A large hat piece of
tin may be put5b 5bver the top Of the
large pan just tb keep out dust and
to prevent the Hater in the outside
pa1 from evapl plrating too quickly.
Tae cloth shou1l be thoroughly wet
b fore the seedaare placed upon t.
A fto, chat ,ho ~ FOR ,,;lj Ina carrnH