REPORT OF THE DIVISION OF AGRONOMY AND 



BOTANY FOR 1915 



By James L. Burgess. 



General Remarks. 



According to the provisions of the North Carolina Pure Seed Act, seed 

 samples have been collected and analyzed since the act went into effect, 

 July 1, 1909. The present publication is the fifth report of seed tests 

 made by this department, and includes all samples received from July 

 15, 1914 to July 15, 1915. During that time 1,475 samples in all have 

 been tested; total agricultural seed samples 1,011, samples from inspect- 

 ors 746, samples from individuals 284. Total samples for purity was 

 964; total samples for germination was 511. Germination tests were 

 made of 445 samples of vegetable seeds. Also 185 samples of tobacco 

 seed were received and cleaned for farmers of the State as against 123 

 samples received in 1914. 



It is interesting to note the gradually increasing interest the individ- 

 ual farmer is taking in the use of better seeds. The degree of his inter- 

 est may be seen from the number of seed samples he sends from year to 

 year to the Seed Laboratory for examination. During 1913 the indi- 

 vidual farmer sent, on his own initiative, 136 samples of seeds for exami- 

 nation; during 1914, 228 samples and during the year ending July 15, 

 3915 284 samples. 



The total number of agricultural seeds shows a material increase over 

 the number received during 1913 and 1914. The number of vegetable 

 seeds fell off during 1915, but still show more than 100 per cent increase 

 over 1913. 



The coming on of the European war seemed to give some few seeds- 

 men an excuse for dumping on the market large quantities of inferior or 

 dead seeds during the fall of 1914. As a result of this want of precaution, 

 on the part of both the seedsmen and the farmers, much seed of low 

 vitality came to the laboratory. This was especially true of the crimson 

 clover seed, which showed a germination of an average of 10 per cent 

 lower than that found in similar seeds sold the previous year. 



Tables 'No. 1 and 2 show the comparative number of seed samples 

 received at the laboratory during the years 1913, 1914 and 1915. The 

 large showing made in the number of vegetable seeds during 1914 was 

 due to a special effort made in the collection of these seeds during this 

 year, and also to the fact that several samples of vegetable seeds were 

 carried over from 1913, due to a change in the date of issue of the an- 

 nual bulletin from this division. 



