REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. XXIX 



These tests show.that the average purity of stock last year was 86.7 

 per cent. Therefore, although the extent of this defect has been 

 greatly exaggerated by those opposed to the policy of seed distribu- 

 tion, there is nevertheless sufficient reason to warrant me in taking 

 steps to effect a remedy. I have therefore established the following 

 standard for purity of stock: 



The standard of trueness to name for each variety shall be the average of the per- 

 centage of trueness to name in not less than five commercial samples of the same 

 variety purchased under the direction of the Secretary of Agriculture in the open 

 market from five or more reliable seed houses, and the Secretary of Agriculture shall 

 be the sole judge of the results of the tests reported by the officer or officers charged 

 therewith by him. Not less than 100 plants from each lot of the seeds furnished by 

 the contractor shall constitute a test. 



The maintenance of the high standards for seeds distributed at the 

 direction of Congress will place these seeds above reproach. There 

 is, however, another improvement which I propose to inaugurate in 

 the Congressional distribution. The Department has maintained for 

 some years past a trial ground, in which it has made comparative tests 

 of the standard varieties of vegetables, and also of many of the novel- 

 ties which are placed on the market by American seedsmen. These 

 experiments have shown that each year there are offered new varie- 

 ties of established superiority, which the Department without diffi- 

 culty can secure and distribute. By proper handling, these novelties 

 can be purchased at prices little if at all higher than those of the com- 

 mon varieties heretofore included in the Congressional distribution. 

 Furthermore, it will be remembered that three years ago, with the 

 permission of Congress, I set apart from the seed appropriation a fund 

 to be devoted to the introduction of new and valuable seeds and plants 

 from foreign countries. The plants thus introduced have been tested 

 by the various State experiment stations, by properly qualified private 

 experimenters, and by the Department itself, most of our own experi- 

 ments having been conducted on the Potomac Flats testing grounds, 

 placed at our disposal two years ago by authority of Congress and by 

 permission of the Secretary of War. 



Several plants thus introduced have, as heretofore reported, demon- 

 strated their capacity of increasing the agricultural products of our 

 country by millions of dollars annually. Some of these seeds should 

 be ver}^ widely distributed. It should, therefore, be the policy of the 

 Department to introduce into the Congressional seed distrib'-"^!on new 

 varieties of established superiority developed in the United States or 

 imported from foreign countries, to distribute these varieties for one 

 or more years until they have been sufficiently brought to the atten- 

 tion of the people, and then to discontinue their distribution, leaving 

 the demand thus created to be supplied through the ordinary commer- 

 cial channels. In this way the Department will be enabled to carry 



