CHE REFERENCE LIBRARY - ZetaTalk

28 THE NURSERY-MANUALacross to permit a i-inch brass rod to be run in (Y, I)>, from which the clothis suspended in the pan, as &own in the cut. The lower margins of thei:,FIG. 13. Absorbing-block seed-tester.fol(is (0) are also sewn across to make them stay in place better. Thetotal length of the strip a,fter the sewing is complet,ed is about a yard.Two swh StriiE arc Used in each pI1.“To put the pan into use, it is filled part full of water, two of the preparedcloths put in, the gla,ss cover a(.f,justed and the whole boiled over alamp for a, short tinirb. This is necessary in order both thoroughly to wetthe cloth ant1 to kill any mold or other germs. When again cool, adjustthe cloths on the bra$s rods and put, in t,he seeds. Each fold will hold25 large seeds, like beans, and a hlundr4 or more small seeds. Water isplaced in the pan, but not enough to touch the folds of cloth ; the four flapsdrop down into it. lion-tlver, and keep the cloths sufficiently wet, by capillarity,whirl1 is increased by the long nap on the under surface of the cloth.The folds are nurnbc-rcxcl r*onsecutively, and the record kept by the numbers.“The advantages in a, pan of this kind are the facility with which theseeds may be esaminrci and counted, the thorough and uniform moisture.of the seeds throughout the longest trials,its lightness and cleanliness. It is necessaryto renew the cloths from time totime, as they will slowly rot out, evenwith the best of care.”A device of dift’erent character isshown in Figs. 13 a,nd 14 (AnnalsHort., 1890, 268) D It consists ofthree parts : a. tin tray (r) forholding water ; a, block of gypsum (b) that sits in the trayand contains several compartments for the reception of the