DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 151 



fairly satisfactory miethod where only a few samples were being tested 

 but would not be at all practical where a number had to be put through. 

 Just at present I am candying on an investigation of the germinators 

 which are on the market. This is being done at the request of the 

 president of the Association of Official Seed Analysts of North America. 

 I have secured, at the present time, three of those manufactured, and 

 hope to have more before the work is finished. The results of tliis in- 

 vestigation will be reported at the next meeting of the Association. 



IDENTIFICATION. 



Each year samples of seeds come in for identification. In some cases 

 samples of stock and chicken feeds are sent in, witli the request for a 

 list of the varieties of weed seeds present. In some of these were found 

 seeds of Thlaspi arvense, Penny Cress, and Agrostemma githago, Corn 

 Cockle, both of which are injurious to stock. A part of the samples 

 also contained Ergot. 



OTHER WORK OF THE LABORATORY. 



Aside from, the regular work of the laboratory, I tested samples for 

 purity and germination for the referees of the Seed Analysts' Asso- 

 ciation. In spite of the fact that the germination method was very 

 simple, my results compared very favorably with those from other sta- 

 tions. 



I attended the meeting of the Association of Official Seed Analysts 

 in Minneapolis last summer, and the meeting in Detroit this summer. 

 The meeting this year was held a little earlier in the season than former- 

 ly, as the American Seed Trade Association was having its meeting 

 in Detroit, and it was felt advisable to have ours at the same time, as 

 many of our problems are also theirs. The meeting this year was very 

 successful. 



It is to be hoped this year that the farmers will be very careful of 

 the kind of seed which they save for sowing purposes next season. 

 It is of the utmost importance that the very best seed be saved, because 

 there is apt to be a shortage of seed, and for this reason particularly, 

 good seed is especially desirable. It is also advisable, in view of the 

 fact that labor is becoming scarce, that the seed be cleaned as well as pos- 

 sible, so that no labor be wasted in taking care of the crop. 



