254 



ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



Off. Doc. 



So uniformlj did the percentage of germination of Crimson Glover 

 samples correspond with the proportion of bright, light-colored seeds 

 in the samples, that Mr. W. H. Thompson, who w^as making the ger- 

 mination tests, was led to separate the dark and light seeds of eight 

 samples and trj them independently in the germinator. The re- 

 sults are shown in the following figures. It will be seen that even 

 in the best samples there are some seeds darker than the rest, but 

 they possess the brightness that belongs to fresh seed, and dark seed 

 does not necessarily mean dead seed. However, in every case, it 

 will be seen the dark seeds gave fewer germinations than did the 

 light seeds. 



CRIMSON CLOVER. 



Comparison of Germination Power of Dark and Light Colored Seeds 



in Same Sample. 



Number o€ Sample. 



a 

 a 



bo 

 •6 



. <u 



4J a; 

 0) 



12, 



63, 



94. 



133, 



161, 



173. 



182, 



205, 



17 



87 

 21 

 56 

 10 

 84 

 76 

 17 



ALSIKE. 



There were sixteen samples of Alsike examined, and of these one- 

 half fell below the standard of purity, 95 per cent. The impurities 

 were essentially weed seed in most cases. Timothy and Sheep Sorrel 

 were most abundant. Docks and Tumble-weed w^ere frequent. The 

 Alsike seed of a few specimens were dull colored, indicating age, 

 and in fact three samples were reported as old seed. Though the 

 standard of germination for Alsike is placed as low as 75 per cent., 

 one-half of the samples tested in the germinator failed to reach the 

 required figure even though, as is customary with all clover germina- 

 tions, one-third of the seeds remaining sound at the conclusion of 

 the test was counted in as germinable seed. Samples Nos. 10 and 

 71 were old, dull colored seed and though sold at |8.00 and |7.50 

 respectively, the farmer actually paid more than |26.00 per bushel 



