REPORT OF SEED TESTS FOR 1913. 



By J. L. BURGESS, Agronomist and Botanist. 



INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 



Miss O. I. Tillman, the efficient botanist and seed analyst who was 

 formerly in charge of the seed work, resigned her position with this 

 Department June 1, 1913. 



It is but fair to say that Miss Tillman not only aided the Commis- 

 sioner of Agriculture in carrying out the requirements of the North 

 Carolina Seed Law, but built up and equipped what is perhaps the best 

 and most modern seed laboratory in the United States outside of Wash- 

 ington, D.C., and has thus left with us a monument to her genius and 

 ability. 



While here she trained two or three assistants, who became expert 

 seed analysts. One of these, Miss Susie D. Allen, is still in the seed 

 laboratory, and did a very large part of the work reported in the follow- 

 ing pages. 



Since most of the work of the seed laboratory is, strictly speaking, 

 general agronomy work, the State Board of Agriculture, at its meeting 

 in June, 1913, decided to combine the seed work with, and make it a 

 part of, the work of the Agronomy Division, and thus eliminate unavoid- 

 able duplications. 



GENERAL REMARKS. 



According to the provisions of the Xorth 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 third report of 

 seed tests made by this Department, and includes all samples received 

 from August 31, 1912, to July 15, 1913. During that time 732 samples 

 in all have been tested ; total agricultural seed samples 534, samples from 

 inspectors 398, samples from individuals 136. Two samples of grain 

 mixture and one sample of ginseng seed were submitted for examination 

 and germination test. Total samples for purity was 274, total samples 

 for germination was 528. Germination tests were made of 195 samples 

 of vegetable seeds, also 76 samples of tobacco seed were received and 

 cleaned for farmers of the State. 



SEED SHOULD BE TESTED AND THE VALUE KNOWN BEFORE 



PURCHASING. 



The wisdom of having seed tested and of knowing the actual cost 

 and value of the seed to be planted may be illustrated by the following 



