137 



as conducted by the Station iiiidcr a State law are stated to be as 

 follows : 



To protect the f:ii-iiicrs (if llic St.itc Iroiii I'l-nudult'iit fertilizers by reiiuiriiit: 

 every niiinufjicturer doiiiic l)iisiiu'ss in the State to take out a license on each 

 brand on sali; by liini : to exercise a jieneral control of the trade by a system of 

 inspectiufi; all brands le.^:nlly on sale in the Stale: and by cbenncal analysis to 

 ascertain if their (lualities are maintained at a guaranteed standard. 



The bidletiii contains a dii^est of the fertilizer laws now in force in 

 North Carolina and a list and tabular record of analyses of seventy- 

 five brands, with exi)lanations of the technical terms used in the 

 tables. Attention is called to the fact that the analysis of a fertilizer 

 requires much time, skill, and patience. It is stated that an analysis 

 of an ammoniated fertilizer, as made at the Station, requires three 

 days and the combined work of four trainee! chemists, besides the 

 labor of preparin<j the sample for analysis and the clerical work for 

 calculatino: and recording their results. Of course a number of anal- 

 yses are made at one time. After this work is completed it receives 

 the carefid consideration of the director. In all, then, a sin^jle sample 

 passes through the hands of eight persons, each one carefully making 

 a record of his Avork which is filed and preserved for future reference. 



BULLETIN No. 624. MARCH 27, 1889. 

 A reprint of Bulletin No. 02 of this Station. 



BULLETIN No. 6.3, ,IUNE, 1889. 



Tests of seeds, G. McCarthy, B. S. (pp. 103-111). — This article 

 is preceded by the following summary : 



Ahstract of contents. — (1) Introductory — Necessity of a standard of value for 

 seeds — The English standard for grasses and clovers — Proposed American stand- 

 ard — Suggestions of helps toward examining seeds for impurities — Method of 

 calculating the (piantity of seeds in a gram and in an ounce — Lessons taught by 

 these experiments. (2) Examination and tests of seeds. (8) Tabular resume. 



In the absence of an American standard of purity and vitality the 

 English standard was used. [No reference is made to the standards 

 in use in Germany, where the subject has received more attention 

 than elsewhere.] This Station has undertaken the collection of data 

 for American standards. The results of tests of forty-eight varieties 

 of clover, grass, and other forage plants are given in tables accom- 

 panied with descriptive notes. 



The following deductions may be drawn from these experiments: 



(1) That grass and clover seeds deteriorate very raiadly with age. and gen- 

 e-rally are not worth sowing after they are two years okl. 



(2) That aged and deteriorated seeds are often sold by local store-keepers. 



(3) That farmers sh<mld test samples before purchasing seeds, and purchase 

 directly from some reliable seed grow<'r. or from a local merchant who will 

 guarantee the quality of his seeds. 



(4) That a trustworthy standard of value for seeds, with laws, if necessary, 

 to enforce its observance, is very badly needed. 



