Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1907-03-22
Directions tor Testing Seed
Corn.

Prepare a DOx as large DIS may ne
convenient for your use and about
two and one-half or three inches
deep. In this box you may use sand,
dirt, sawdust or any other convenient
medium, but sawdust is by far the
most satisfactory article for the pur-
pose. If sawdust is used do not at
tempt to fill the box and then wet it
but put the sawduSt in a sack, soak it
drain it. Fill the box with this warm
moist sawdust and lamp it down sol
idly with a brick or piece of two-by-
four until the box is filled within half
an inch Of the top.
Lay owe the sawdust a white cloth
ruled with "a lead pencil into squares
an inch and a half on a side. Num-
Der these squares in some regular
order. Now lay the ears which you
intend to test in a row on the floor or
on a board, driving a nail between
each ten ears and numbering the first,
the tenth, the twentieth and 20 on.
Or ii you haven't a convenient place
to lay the orn out where it won't be
disturbed, number each ear on a
small square Of paper fastened to the
butt of the ear with a nail.
Take the first ear, No. l. in your
left hand and with a jack knife in
your right take one kernel from
each side of the a near the but,
turn the ear a quarter of the way
around and take one kernel from
each side near the middle, turn the
ear a quarter OF the way again and
take a kernel from each side near
the tip. This gives you six kernels
which represent all parts of the ear.
Put the six kernels from No. | in
square No. l. In the same way take
six kernels from ear No. 3 and place
them in square No. 2 and continue
until the box is filed. If the kernels
are placed in the box with the germ
or hollow side up the test will be
more satisfactory.
When the box is full lay over the
kernels a second piece of cloth. Now
spread over it all a piece Of cheap
cloth about twice as wide and a little
longer than the box. Put on this
enough of the moist sawdust to
finish filling the box, fold over the
sides and ends of the cloth, put on a
cover to prevent drying and to make
the box convenient to handle. put a
strap around the box and set it away
where it is warm enough to Sprout
corn. The temperature of a living
room that does not freeze nights is
sufficient for the purpose.
Let it stand about six days or until
the sprouts are about an inch long
then open up the box and study the
termination Of each ear. If every
kernel in "a square hasn't sprouted
throw away the ear from which they
came. If every kernel has started
but has produced shoots smaller and
weaker than those from other ears
throw away the ear. Remember the
conditions in the field will not be as
perfect as the conditions which you
have provided in the termination box
and that the stronger the germina-
tion Of a Kernel the better is it's
chance of making a strong productive
plant.
A box fifteen inches wide by thirty
inches long, such as may be made
from a piece of sixteen inch board
and a bat, will test about two hun
dred ears. about a bushel and a half
OF corn, at one filling. The amount
OF time required to make the test is
not as great as you may think before
trying it. There is no way in which
you can spend a little time to better
advantage than in testing every ear.
of corn that you intend to plant. 1t
is especially important this year, as
it may be the only way in which you
can get seed corn that will grow and
that is adapted to your conditions of
soil and season.
JOHN S. COLE,
~Agronomist.