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4. Sweet Pea Culture:      Mr. Val Keyser, of the University of Nebraska, has written the instructions necessary for the planting and care of sweet peas. Mr. Keyser has made a specialty of horticulture work and it is a privilege to the boys' and girls' clubs to be able to get these instructions, which will be mailed to all members.

     For the state meeting there will be arranged a short course of one week in cooking, sewing, and home nursing at the University of Nebraska, in the Department of Home Economics. Arrangements will be made by which girls may be sent as delegates from each county according to the plan arranged by the county superintendent. The delegates from each county will be permitted to enter the short course and receive free instruction during the week. It is expected that a cooking contest will be held in each county and that a Cooking Team of two girls will be sent to the state meeting where they will compete with the teams from the various counties, for which trophies or premiums will be arranged.

     For the boys, short courses in agriculture will be offered, and judging contests conducted, in which the boys' teams from the various counties will compete. Full statements of plans will be given in announcements for the state meeting.

___________________________ Name	___________________________ Town	__________ R. F. D.	__________ P. O. Box	____ Age
___________________________ County	___________________________ School Dist. No. or Name	___________________________ Teachers Name

     I wish to enter the Home Experiment Department and take the work as indicated by checks (x).

Domestic Science___________			Sweet Pea Culture___________
CORN: "Ear to Row" Test_______ ;		Acre Contest___________ ;		Husking Contest___________
POTATOES: Size of Seed-Piece" Experiment___________ -;				Acre Contest___________

     In recognition of pamphlets, instructions, and materials received, I promise to follow all directions as provided in the "General Outline and Plans of the Nebraska Boys and Girls Club 1910-11," and make all required reports.

     Date ___________ 1910.

Signed ___________     

     Return promptly to State Superintendent Public Instruction, Lincoln, Nebraska.

     This bulletin is prepared especially for the use of the members of the Nebraska Boys' Agriculture Club. It is equally useful for others. No better educational work can be done by the class in agriculture, the normal training class, or other reliable pupils in rural and town schools than to construct a homemade seed-corn tester and test a reasonable amount of seed-corn for any seed-corn grower in the community who will bring in his corn for that purpose. The corn should he carefully and accurately tested, each ear separately, and a definite report made on each ear and every ear returned to the owner. The patrons of the school and the farmers in the vicinity will appreciate the kindness and the interest of the school, and it will help them to recognize the fact that our schools are providing instruction that has a practical as well as other high educational value.

     Please observe this suggestion: Be sure that the test is so accurate and thorough that the owner of the seed-corn may rely upon the result as indication of the actual condition of his seed-corn as to germinating power.

     B. C. BISHOP,           
Superintendent     

HOW TO TEST SEED CORN

By A. E. Nelson

     I once heard a man say, "I don't think there is anything a farmer can do that would so much increase his yield of corn, for the money involved, as to test his seed." You know the good book says: "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. "Scientists say: "Like produces like." If these statements are true, and they surely are, we have every reason to believe that we could do much toward increasing the yield per acre in the state of Nebraska by carefully selecting and testing our seed corn.

     It takes only about twelve ears of corn to plant an acre. Think what it means when one ear on each acre of corn planted in the State of Nebraska fails to grow! The average yield per acre is cut down one-twelfth before it is put into the ground.

     Directions are here given to make a box large enough to test two hundred ears. This size box is recommended so that the contestant will have a goodly number of ears to select his seed from, also he can test a part of his father's corn at the same time.

     The cheapest and best way to test seed corn is In a germination

The right way to remove kernels, insert knife between the rows and pry sidewise.

The wrong way to remove kernels. By placing the knife between the kernels and prying into the kernel, the germ is sometimes injured.

     

box. Such a box can be made for testing two hundred ears by following this outline:

     1. Make a box 48 inches long, 28 inches wide and 4 or 5 Inches deep.

     2. Procure a good piece of muslin one inch larger each way than the box.

     3. Mark this muslin with heavy lines into squares 2 inches by 2 Inches. Leave a margin of 4 inches between the outside row of squares and the edge of the cloth.

     4. Begin at the left of the upper row of squares (top row first) and number the squares to the right. The squares down the left hand side will then be numbered 1, 21, 41, 61, to 81.

     5. Place 1 1/2 bushels of sawdust or old chaff in a sack and soak well in warm water (at least 2 hours).

     6. Drain and afterwards press surplus water out of sawdust.

     7. Place about 2 inches of sawdust in the box and press firm and smooth with a brick.

     8. Place marked muslin on this sawdust and tack to box around edge.

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© 2003 for the NEGenWeb Project by Ted & Carole Miller