The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1917-09-28
TESTING THE
SEED CORN
DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING THE
SAWDUST BOX
THE READING OF THE TEST
BY This Method Ii Is Possible To
Discard Grains That Do Not
Sprout Satisfactorily.

College Park, March CIV. B
Kemp, Agronomy Extension Special
list. has just recently issued an ar
ticle to be used by the County Demon
stration Agents in connection with the
local Boys Agricultural Clubs in the
State, in which he gives one of the
most satisfactory ways of testing seed
corn. Mr.. Kemp says: When f1f-
teen good ears will probably produce
all Of the seed required for your acre
you can readily see how important it
Is that the grain on every ear will not
only grow, but will produce vigorous
plants. II seed has been carefully
selected in the field in the fall and
has been stored in dry well-aired
place, the next step toward securing
a uniform stand of corn is to test
each ear for termination. To do this,
take grains that represent all parts
Of each ear to be tested and place
them under such conditions of venttla-
ton, moisture, and warmth that
sprouts on the strong ones will grow,
in about week, to a couple of Inches
in length. Then by a study Of the
grains from each ear it Is possible to
discard the ears whose grains do not
sprout in satisfactory manner.
Preparing the 'Sawdust Box
zone of the most satisfactory ways
to test your corn for termination is
by use of the 'sawdust box To pre-
- ,I@ 1n oil
ing:
Il. A wooden box Is inches long,
10 inches broad and to 6 inches
deep. "a box Of any other dimension,
If it provides enough room, will be
satisfactory, but the size of all cloths
must vary with size of box.)
"2. Enough sawdust to fill the box.
"3 One piece Of heavy muslin 20
inches long and 20 inches broad.
"a One piece of muslin IS inches
long and Is inches broad.
"5. Four tacks.
"6. About fifty pieces Of card board
one inch square and same number OF
shingle-nails or pins.
Mark off the muslin mentioned
in 3, into two-inch squares by draw
ing lines with a soft lead pencil two
inches apart each way across the
cloth; leaving an unmarked border
three inches wide along all four edges.
Number these squares from l to 80.
Next mark the pieces Of card
board mentioned under 6, from 1 to
40 and stick nail or pin through the
center Of each piece.
Making the Test.
a. Boil the sawdust for half an
hour, drain and let cool.
"R. When sawdust is sufficiently
cool to handle put enough into the
box so that 1t will pack level and
tight to within two inches of top Of
box "a brick makes a very coed
implement for this packing.)
&C. If cloths are new scrub in
warm water to remove dressing.
I'D. Scald the cloths
"E. Stretch the damp cloth, which
is marked into squares, over the
packed sawdust in box and tack at
corners.
"F. Place ears to be tested in row
with butts toward you on table or
boards.
&c. Stick nails bearing marked
square of cardboard into the butt of
the cob Of each ear.
III Remove six grains from ear
1 and place these with germs up and
with all tips pointing in same direc-
ton on the damp muslin in square l.
"(Remove these grains with PEN
knife by inserting blade between row,
not between grains in row. Re-
move one grain inches from butt Of
ear. Turn ear one-third over and re-
move second grain from center OF
ear. Again turn ear one-third over
and remove grain two inches from
tip. Remove grains 4, 5, and 6, from
side of ear opposite places from
which grains 1, 2, and 8, were re-
moved.
81. Similarly remove grains from
each Of 40 ears and place in proper
squares of the sawdust box.
~. Being careful not to displace
any of the grains stretch second piece
of muslin, mentioned under 4, over
the box and let it rest on the grains.
ok Place burlap over muslin with
edges extending over sides of box.
al. Fill burlap to top of box with
damp sawdust, pack tight, and fold
edges of burlap back over sawdust:
EN-. Keep box in a place which
can be kept at living-room tempera-
ture.
"(Place a low prop under one edge
OF box so that tips of grains will be
pointing downward, then all sprouts
will grow in the same direction)
Reading the Test.
after a week to ten days has
passed, open the germinator by roll
ing back and placing aside the bur-
lap full of sawdust. Next fold back
the first muslin being careful not to
misplace any of the grains. You are
now ready to read the test. If any
grain in a square has not sprouted,
discard the ear from which this grain
was taken If sprouts on the grains
from an ear are not regular in
growth discard that ear also. If all
sprouts from grains of an ear are
short it does not always mean that
they are weak; 1t may be that these
grains are merely slow in sprouting."