SCANDINAVIAN SEED-CONTROL STATIONS. 



seed of Plantago lanceolata in red clover seed; of charlock and white 

 mustard seed in turnip, rape, or cabbage seed, etc. Besides seed con- 

 taining worthless adulterations or foul weed seeds, old and inferior 

 seed true to name or seed mixed with that of other cultivated plants 

 of less value was imposed upon an unsuspecting or patient public in 

 much the same way that is possible under present conditions in this 

 country. It was found also that seed whieh could not be sold in coun- 

 tries where seed control had been established was exported to countries 

 where there was no such control and found a ready market there, until 

 these countries partly as a matter of self-protection founded similar 

 institutions. 



The effect of the work of the Danish seed-control station became 

 noticeable almost immediately after the establishment of the station, 

 especially as regards the purity of the seed examined. The quality of the 

 seed on the market, as is shown in the average purity and germination 

 of the seed samples analyzed, has been gradually improved from year to 

 year since the work of the station began, and is now of a very high order. 



Selecting a dozen of the more common kinds of seed of legumes and 

 grasses for comparison, we have in illustration of the fact stated the 

 data presented in the following table, which has been compiled from 

 the summary statements published by the station: 1 



Summary of results of Danish seed analyses, 1S70-1S96. 

 PURITY OF SEED. 



GERMINATION OF SEED. 



Red clover 



White clover 



A 1 si ke clover 



Black medick 



Rye grass 



Timol liy 



Meadow foxtail 



Velvet grass 



Fiorin grass 



Rough-stalked meadow 



grass 



Meadow fescue 



Orchard grass 



Average of grass 

 species 



91.0 

 83.8 

 81.0 

 93. 5 

 84.0 

 89.0 

 3.0 

 27.0 

 42.5 



26.0 

 51.0 

 40.4 



81.0 

 79.0 

 72.0 

 79. 

 86.0 

 86.0 



6.0 

 34.0 



8.0 



12.0 

 41.0 

 35.0 



92. 1 

 90 9 

 88.4 

 81.0 

 75.3 

 87.2 

 45.5 

 27.0 

 45.5 



1.0 



70.5 

 71.8 



91 + 7 2 

 84 + 14 

 88 + 8 

 81+9 

 80.9 

 83.3 

 44.4 

 4li. 7 

 90.5 



65.5 

 90.3 

 82.6 



53.0 



91+8 2 

 84 + 15 

 81 + 17 

 96.3 

 93. 1 

 91.0 

 68.4 

 79.5 

 83.0 



77.2 

 94.4 

 81.8 



86+8* 

 79+15 

 86 + 9 

 81 + 8 

 88.2 

 92. 2 

 68.0 

 80.0 

 91.8 



88.3 

 89.1 

 83.6 



85.2 



90.6+ 8.3 2 

 82.6 15.7 

 90.9+ 8.3 



92. :■ :>. .s 



93. 6 

 95.5 

 74.9 

 88.1 

 94.7 



79.4 

 93. 



1 Dansk Frokontrol 1871-1896, p. 10 ; Aunual Report 1895-96, p. 7. 



2 The figures added represeut the percentage of hard seed. 



