BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. 287 



the bureau and of the department. A special study of the American 

 wild plum, which will be useful in all horticultural work on these 

 fruits, is now approaching completion. 



Studies in the classification of North American grasses are putting 

 our taxonomic knowledge of this important group of plants on such 

 a basis as to be useful to grazing interests throughout the country. 



SEED-TESTING LABORATORIES. 



The work of the seed-testing laboratories has been continued as 

 formerly under the immediate charge of Mr. Edgar Brown. Routine 

 seed testing has been carried on as in previous years at the Washing- 

 ton laboratory, as well as at each of the five branch laboratories 

 located in North Carolina, Oregon, Nebraska, Indiana, and Missouri. 

 Each of the laboratories has shown an increase in the number of 

 samples of seed received due to two direct causes, a wider interest 

 in good seed and the passage of seed laws by several States. The 

 Washington laboratory has continued its investigation, studying the 

 distinguishing characters of the seeds of closely allied groups of 

 plants and improving the methods of germination, paying special 

 attention to the hard seeds and methods of treatment to obtain an 

 immediate germination. 



The examination of forage-crop seeds to detect the presence of 

 adulterants has continued with the very gratifying result that very 

 few samples of the kinds collected in former years were found to be 

 adulterated. Redtop seed, collected last year for the first time, how- 

 ever, was found badly mixed with timothy. 



On June 30, 1911, the Washington laboratory discontinued its 

 connection with the laboratories in North Carolina and Nebraska, as 

 these stations are now in a position to continue the work. During 

 the fiscal year ending in 1912 it is expected that two new branch 

 laboratories will be opened in States where little attention has thus 

 far been paid to the work. 



The future work of the laboratory will follow the lines of the past. 

 The Washington laboratory is making no effort to increase the num- 

 ber of routine tests, but is endeavoring to create an interest in seed 

 testing at the State agricultural experiment stations and also to fur- 

 nish any assistance possible to stations taking up the work. With 

 this end in view all the attention possible is being turned toward the 

 extension of investigation work. 



GRAIN STANDARDIZATION. 



The grain-standardization investigations, comprising a study of 

 the harvesting, handling, storing, and transporting of grain in so 

 far as these factors have a bearing on milling and feeding values 

 and commercial grades, have been under the immediate supervision 

 of Dr. J. W. T. Duvel. In order to facilitate these investigations, 

 laboratories have been maintained at Chicago, 111., in charge of Mr. 

 W. P. Carroll ; at Decatur, 111., in charge of Mr. C. A. Russell : at 

 Fargo, N. Dak., in charge of Mr. Clyde H. Bailey; at Kansas City, 

 Mo., in charge of Mr. E. L. Morris; at New Orleans, La., in charge 

 of Mr. L. M. Jeffers; at Baltimore, Md., in charge of Mr. Laurel 

 Duval ; with field stations at Columbus, Nebr., and Coffey ville, Kans. 



