IRISH GARDENING 



7' 



At the Irish station there is tested side by side 

 with every sample under examination a portion 

 of a sample known as a " control," the germina- 

 tion of which is already known from previous 

 repeated testings. If the control does not come 

 up to its reputation when germinated alongside 

 of the given sample the test is discarded and a 

 fresh one instituted. The •■control*' sample 

 therefore affords tangible and convincing proof 



during the administration of the Weeds and 

 Seeds Act referred to above show clearly that 

 in those counties in Ireland where the farmers 

 avail themselves to the least extent of the 

 facilities for acquiring accurate information 

 about the seeds they are using, based on 

 actual tests, the sale of inferior, and in too 

 many cases of absolutely worthless, seeds is 

 most prevalent. 



View of the Principal Laboratory of the Irish Seed Testing Station 

 in the Xew Royal College of Science, Dublin. 



of the perfection, or otherwise, of the conditions 

 under which the germination test is being made. 

 Owing to the fact that the best conditions for 

 the successful germination of the various kinds 

 of seeds are now so thoroughly well known from 

 years of experimental work, it is found in 

 practice that the failure of the control is a thing 

 of the utmost rarity, nevertheless its employ- 

 ment is a valuable safeguard against unforeseen 

 and exceptional contingencies. 



Every year more and more use is being made 

 of the Irish Seed Testing Station ; and it is 

 interesting to observe that the data obtained 



One by one the farmers in these counties will 

 in time probably awake from their slumber and 

 see what losses they are suffering, and then. 

 perhaps we may hope to begin to realise the 

 ideal for which we are striving — namely, that 

 instead of being known, as certainly was 

 formerly the case, as a country for which the 

 most rubbishy seeds were regarded as good 

 enough, Ireland may be the one country in the 

 world, perhaps, where none but the very best 

 seeds will find a purchaser, for the old saying 

 still holds good—" The best seeds procurable 

 are never too'good." 



