BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. 287 



Hyacinths. — For the first time since bulb investigations were begun 

 and probably for the first time in this country propagations have 

 been made from mature mother hyacinth bulbs of our own growing. 

 This marks an important epoch in bulb investigations, for upon the 

 behavior of the propagations made from home-grown mother bulbs 

 depends the future of successful bulb propagation in this country. 

 The difficulty of bringing from abroad healthy well-developed 

 mother bulbs is so great that it is imperative that the mother stock 

 be developed in this country, and if the present effort proves suc- 

 cessful the fundamental basis for successful bulb propagation will 

 have been laid. 



Tulips and narcissi. — The propagations of tulips and of narcissi 

 which have been carried on both at Bellingham, Wash., and at 

 Arlington Experiment Farm are proving vcr}^ satisfactory, and the 

 young stock is making satisfactory development. Acting on the 

 suggestions from this bureau, several bulb growers are making use 

 of forced florist bulbs to excellent advantage for their initial propa- 

 gations, such stock having been demonstrated to be quite satisfactory 

 for the purpose. The possibility of using this material is proving of 

 great benefit because of the high cost and unsatisfactory character 

 of stock received through importation. Only healthy bulbs which 

 have proved themselves capable of throwing good flowers should be 

 used for the purpose. 



Easter lilies.— There will be as many as 15,000 to 20,000 Easter 

 lily seedling bulbs from one commercial source, but this is a good 

 start, which following the small but satisfactory crop of last year 

 chronicles the real beginning of the home production of these bulbs. 

 Beside this a number of florists are this year growing their own 

 seedlings for winter forcing. At Bellingham, Wash., half an acre of 

 tulips, 1 acre of daffodils, and about half an acre of lilies and other 

 miscellaneous stocks have been grown. In these investigations there 

 are new stocks of lilies, Galanthus, daffodils, and about 15 new 

 varieties of bulbous iris. 



SEED INVESTIGATIONS. 



/Seed testing. — During the fiscal year 1923 the seed-testing labora- 

 tories received and examined 27,370 samples of seeds. Of these. 

 13,755 came to the Washington laboratory and 13,615 to the five 

 branch seed-testing laboratories maintained in cooperation with 

 State institutions. These samples represent both vegetable and field 

 seeds from farmers, seed dealers, and investigators, to whom reports 

 of analyses were sent showing the presence of weed seeds and worth- 

 less material, or germination, or both, as requested. Through this 

 service the work of the seed-testing laboratories is immediately ap- 

 plied to practical agriculture. In addition to the above, 8,490 lots 

 of vegetable seeds were purchased and tested for germination. The 

 results of these tests will be published. Some of these seeds (garden 

 peas and beets) were also tested in the field for trueness to name. 



The study of the characteristic M^eed and other seeds occurring in 

 crop seeds grown in different localities in the United States and in 

 foreign countries has been continued, and the results will soon be 

 ready for publication. As in previous years, analysts from seed 



