370 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



the germinator cloth or paper, while larger seeds do better when placed 

 between cloth or paper folds. 



When sand or soil is used in testing germination, the seeds should 

 have but a very light covering. Before the sprouts appear the surface 

 of the sand may be kept covered to hold the moisture. Germination in 

 sand and in soil is likely to be somewhat slower than when the test is 

 made in cloth or paper. ' . 



Seed in the germinator should be examined daily to note the extent 

 and vigor of germination. Weak, slow germination indicates low vitality, 

 unpromising for good field results in plant production. 



Red clover and alfalfa seed are sometimes so slow in absorbing 

 moisture that the germination is delayed several days or even several 

 weeks. This is particularly true of new seed. The same seed a year later 

 may show a greatly reduced amount of this so-called "hard seed," and 

 therefore a higher percentage of germination under test. Such seed re- 

 mains hard in the test when other seed has become soft by the absorption 

 of water. 



The time required for germination differs with different kinds of 

 seed. Between the times of appearance of the first and the last sprouts 

 there is a period of maximum germination when the practical germinat- 

 ing value of the seed is evident . 



Determining the Actual Value of the Seed. — The actual value of the 

 pure, germinable seed in a sample depends on its amount, as compared 

 with the total weight of the sample. Assuming, for illustration, a stand- 

 ard of absolute purity and viability in seed selling at $10 per 100 pounds, 

 such seed is actually worth, at this rate, 10 cents per pound. On the other 

 hand, seed selling at the same price, but on test showing a purity of 80 

 per cent and viability of 70 per cent, contains but 70 per cent of 80 per 

 cent, or 56 per cent of pure, viable seed. At $10 per 100 pounds of this 

 seed as sold the good seed actually costs nearly 18 cents per pound. 



This ideal state of perfection in purity and viability of seed is rarely, 

 if ever, attained. It is important, however, to know the highest quality 

 that seed can justly be expected to show. It is fair that the best seed that 

 is marketed should serve as a guide in this respect, because the average 

 results of miscellaneous tests of any particular kind are too low, since 

 some samples are altogether too low in quality. The fact that seed of the 

 principal forage crops in which both the purity and the viability closely 

 approach 100 per cent does appear on the market justifies one in as- 

 suming that all seed of these crops sold as high grade should possess 

 equally good quality. 



The practical application of this understanding as to quality may 



