946 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



for such large seeds as corn, beans, beet seed, etc. The time for germi- 

 nation has been experimentally determined for the different kiuds of 

 seed and the germination in a certain definite time of every lot tested 

 is compared with the standard for that kind. The standards for purity, 

 germinative ability, and intrinsic worth vary in different countries, 

 each having its own. 



The methods by which the control is secured differ in different 

 countries. In some countries this is brought about through legislative 

 action requiring all seed offered for sale to be up to a certain definite 

 quality. In others the same end is secured by a mutual agreement 

 between the wholesale dealers and the stations, whereby dealers place 

 themselves voluntarily under the control of the station and the station 

 certifies to the quality of the seed placed on the market. In other cases 

 there is a combination of these two methods of control, governmental 

 supervision being provided for local dealers and either private or con- 

 trol contract for those outside the State's jurisdiction. Under the pri- 

 vate contract the station has no connection with the consumer, but it 

 simply reports to the wholesale dealer on the qualitity of the seed. 

 Under what is known as the control contract the station certifies to the 

 quality of seed and a copy of this certificate is furnished to every pur- 

 chaser. Under certain conditions the consumer is allowed a free 

 reexamination of any seed ijurchased under the control contract, and if 

 a departure of more than 5 per cent from the guaranty is found the 

 dealer is required to reimburse him. 



The first attempt in the United States in seed testing was made at 

 the Connecticut State Station in 1877, and two years later the North 

 Carolina Station equipped itself for such work. At the present time 

 several of the experiment stations are prepared to test samples of seed 

 sent them, but they exert no control over their sale. Systematic effort 

 was commenced by this Department about a year ago to collect infor- 

 mation on the commercial side of the seed industry in this country and 

 to study the quality of the seed placed upon the market. 



The benefits resulting from the seed control in Europe are apparent 

 in the improvement of tlie quality of seed in general and in the security 

 which it gives to the buyer. The reports of these stations show that 

 the quality of seed has steadily improved since the introduction of seed 

 control. This is especially true in regard to trueness to name and free- 

 dom from weed seeds. 



The necessity for seed control in this country is not less than in 

 Europe. It is second only in importance to the control of the sale of 

 commercial fertilizers now exercised so generally in the States where 

 fertilizers are used. 



The following is a list of the seed control stations now in active oper- 

 ation in different countries, with the date of their establishment, taken 

 from the article by Jonsson referred to above. 



