Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-03-09
Merritt Greene Tells Of a Method lie
Finds Satisfactory.
TESTING SEED CORN.

Merritt Greene Tells of Method He
Finds Satisfactory.
Editor Times Republican.
Among the many ways for testing
seed corn that are published. offer
mine. do not say 1T is better than
others, but that it works we'll for me.
Having tried several methods l find
this to be entirely satisfactory.
use box or tray made as follows:
Saw out two one inch boards, one IL
inches wide and one inches wide,
each &c inches long, for the bottom
Two boards inches wide and rs in
ches long for the SIDES Two boards s
inches wide by 10 inches long for the
ends. Nail on cleat on each end
piece near the outside top for ham
die to lift the tray by. Nail the bot
tom pieces to the end pieces, this Will
leave the tray at the ends inches
Deep Nail the side pieces to the bot
tom and ends, leaving the tray in
ches deep along the sides.
Next procure three pieces Of white
cloth, unbleached muslin preferred,
one piece 20 inches wide by ~ inches
long, the other two pieces yard
square Take the smaller piece OF
cloth and with an indelible pencil mark
out III inch squares. Commence at
the end and 2h incnes from the edge.
Make your first line Is inches across
the cloth, the second line, starting
from the same point 22h inches the
longer way of the cloth. This makes
one half Of the square. Make the 9TH
err two sides the same and check up
with TX inch squares. Commence at
the left hand corner. marking plainly
in the first square the figure l, next to
the right g. and so on for the 10
SQUARES. This makes Is sections Of
10 squares to the section. 1t also
makes $50 squares, which will test $50
ears.
Fill your tray with two inches Of
sawdust, dirt or sand. sawdust much
the preferable to handle. Wet down
with hot water and spread over 1T the
checked cloth. Sprinkle the cloth well.
You are now ready for your corn.
Lay out your corn on shelves at such
place the most convenient. Use or
have shelves not less than IL inches
wide. Mark the shelves off in sections
% inches long. This will comfortably
take in 10 ears. Drive in two nails
on each section line, the first one
inches from the edge Of the shelf, the
second inches. This prevents COM
fusion by ears rolling together. 1t
will require for your tray Is of. such
sections Now number each section,
Commencing at the left, put the figure
/, next square 2, and SO on for the 10.
You will discover these sections now
correspond with the sections on your
checked cloth. With this arrangement
there is very little danger Of getting
things mixed.
Now push the ears in about 8 inches
from the edge of the shelf and take
our 3 kernels from each ear, one near
the butt, turn the ear over a little and
take one from the center, turn over
further and take another kernel from
near the tip. This gives sample from
three sides of the ear. Place these
three kernels on the shelf directly at
the end of the ear from which taken.
When each of the $50 ears are thus
served, take your tray to the shelf and
commencing at the left hand ear in.
section 1, place the 8 kernels in square
1, which is section 1. The kernels
from ear 2 in the square above num-
Der one, and SO on with the 10 ears.
Sections serve in like manner and
so on with the Is sections. Now place
the muslin carefully over the corn and
sprinkle well. Place the other piece
on top and again sprinkle. Let the
sides of the two top pieces of mus
lin lap over the tray. The tray is then
ready to be filled with sawdust or
other material. Sprinkle we'll with hot
water and set by the cookstove or any
other convenient place where the
Temperature will be from IS to 10 de-
grees.
The use of the second and third
pieces Of muslin is that the third piece
can be removed, taking with 1t the
sawdust or dirt, leaving only the bare
cloth to roll off the kernels without
disturbing their position.
An examination Of the corn should
be made in four days from time of put
ting in tray. Five days, with proper
warmth, should be sufficient. When
the cloths above the kernels are re-
moved. take a record Of each section
marking the number of the ear in the
section and number of poor Kernels.
You should have 450 Kernels in the tray
and the number of poor kernels divided
by the $50 kernels will give you the
percentage of poor corn.
For instance, you find that the total
number Of poor kernels Is forty f1ve.
This would show the corn to be 10 per
cent. poor and 90 per cent good. The
above is a description of a single
tray to test $50 ears, but it Is so con-
structed that you can make any num-
Der of them and place one above the
other, the end pieces being one inch
higher affords ventilation.
The question of grading corn by test
Is another feature, but to my mind
very valuable one. Suppose you have
trays and shelves enough to test 500
ears at time This after butting and
tipping will afford you five bushels
for the planter Now suppose you find
in 600 ears or 1900 kernels, $50 poor
ones. and your record shows your corn
to run:
Twenty ears, three kernels poor.
Thirty-five ears, two kernels poor.
Fifty ears, one kernel poor.
Your corn before testing would prove
by above 90 per cent good, but sup
pose you throw out the ffty-five ears,
proving three and two kernels bad.
The proposition would then stand 600
ears less fifty-five, leaves $40, or 1855
kernels which contain fifty poor ones
or about per cent, having raised your
grade from 80 per cent to 81 per cent
good Following out this proposition,