The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1919-02-07
RAG DOLLS Good
AS SEED TESTER
Various Kinds of Apparatus Are
for Sale by Different Com
merciaI Firms.
SIMPLE MATERIAL NEEDED
Bleached Muslin Is Cheapest and Has
Given Entire Satisfaction--ker-
neIs Should Be Sprouted
in Five Days.

A young lady-a very young lady
In Union county, Kentucky, is believed
| to have done at least as much as any
American of her years in helping to
| Increase food production in this coun-
| try. She gave all her clothes for use
In making rag-dol1 testers of the ger
minating power of seed corn. And her
years are only two.
| Her father, county agent of the
| United States department of agricul-
| ture and the Kentucky extension or
! ganization, used up all the spare cloth
around the house in making testers
for the farmers in his territory, ard
then he turned to the baby's ward
robe. The need for testers was acute,
and baby didn't need as many clothes
as formerly. The result was that the
baby had to wear tub until her moth
er could prepare her raiment.
The seed corrH situation in the spring
of 1918 was serious. 1t is not expect
ed to be so serious in 1919. but in many
sections of the country farmers will
have need for rag-doI testers or other
apparatus in finding what seed will
produce corn and what will not. They
may not have to use the baby's clothes,
but they should be ready with testers.
How to Make Raa-DoII Testers.
Various kinds of apparatus for test
ing seed corn are for sale by COM
mercial firms. Others may be manu-
featured at home with simple mate
rails. Some of these testers, such as
the sand-box tester and the sawdust- !
box tester, are described in various |
publications of the department of ag-
riculture and the state agricultural ex-
pertinent stations. The rag-doll seed /
tester has proved to be one of the
most convenient and satisfactory
forms, as well as one of the least ex-
pensiye.
The cheapest material which has
given entire satisfaction is bleached
muslin. The muslin should be cut into
strips 16 inches wide and from to 5
feet along. With a pencil or crayon
1raw a line down the center Of the
strip. Leaving at least 4 inches at
-A1c CAuS. HILL TIT SlilP NJ OooWAS /.
every 4 inches, numbering the sec /:
ions. !:
Using the Rag Dolls.
Moisten the tester before putting the /:
,ernels upon it. Number the ears and !:
lace them in definite order. From !:
ifferent places on ear No. take out !:
en- kernels and place them in section !:
10. /. Similarly take ten kernels from I;
ar No. 2, place them in section No. 2, !:
nd continue in this manner until
very section of the tester has been
He'd. Care should be taken to place
le kernels some distance from the
Ividing lines, SO that slight displace- z
ents caused by handling the testers 4
Ill not mix the samples. Fold each :
Dc Of the tester over, SO that the r
lgps meet in the middle Press the 8
9th down firmly over the kernels,
I'd, using a cob or some other cylin- a
'ical object As q core, roll the tester. 3
IL cord or slip rubber band =
ound the middle. and the doll is COM
etc. 3
The Testing Process. B
The dolls should be thoroughly i'm +
ersed in lukewarm water. From two
four hours have been found sum b,
INT for the soaking, and It Il best p
t to soak for more than ten hours. r
move the dolls from the water. A. G
Y them to drain, and place them
lere they may BE- kept warm ana a
,ist. During the termination period
; so''s 'hr'sa not be subjected - = Vi