SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE. 



April, 1922. 



flines to change to the continental method, 

 but privately expressed the hope, in the 

 interests of Irish agriculture, that the 

 otlier countries Avould continue witli the 

 continental method. 



Under the Irish system any seed mer- 

 chant who merchandises grass seed Avhicli 

 contains a large per cent, by number of 

 kernelless grains is unduly penalized. In 

 consequence the Irish imports of grass 

 seeds are practically free from cliaff. I 

 confirmed this viewpoint of Dr. Petliy- 

 bridge hy consulting many of the Danish 

 producers of Dactylis seed. I have reason 

 to believe too that the chaff cleaned out 

 from the orchard grass seed shipped from 

 Denmark to Ireland is incorporated into 

 the orchard grass seed that is sliipped to 

 other countries which apply the con- 

 tinental system to seed testing. 



The discussions at the conference Avould 

 seem to indicate that it is the members of 

 the seed trade of Europe who insist on 

 the continental system of testing grass 

 seeds. The discussions developed the 

 general view that any seed testing station 

 on the continent of Europe whicli attempt- 

 ed to practise the Irish system of testing 

 grass seed would soon find itself complete- 

 ly boycotted by the seed trade, and in 

 consequence the revenue of the seed test- 

 ing station would be" seriously impaired. 

 Dr. Pethybridge is able to continue with 

 the Irish system because on his advice the 

 regulations of the Board of Agriculture 

 for Ireland require tJiat the germination 

 of grass seed shall be detenu ined by his 

 system. 



This is a matter of comparatively little 

 small iuiportance to Canada, inasmuch as 

 comjjaratively little of the seed of com- 

 merce requires for testing purposes the 

 use of the diaphanoscope. When selling 

 these grass seeds, however, many if not 

 most of our Canadian seed merchants ad- 

 vertise only the percentage germination, 

 much to the disadvantage of the unsus- 

 pecting buyer. Education will in time 

 correct this evil of the seed trade, but the 

 process of the education of seed users is 

 very slow indeed. 



Dr. Widen, of Sweden, submitted the 

 results of quite exhaustive studies in the 

 germination of seeds of cereals and the 

 large seeds of leguininosae, and recom- 

 mended, as a method surpassing all others 



as to certainty of results, the use (»f sand 

 containing a' quantity of water equal to 

 about 60% of the maximum quantity that 

 can be absorbed by the sand. Dr. Widen 

 stated that at certain periods of the year 

 or during certain years when the purchase 

 of imperfectly ripened seeds may be fore- 

 seen, experiments ought to be made to as- 

 certain whether or not tlie seeds are ripe 

 and apt to germinate. 



At the concluding sessions of the con- 

 ference a committee memorandum was 

 brought in and submitted and by resolu- 

 tion api)roved as to tlie form t'<<r re|)ort- 

 ing, as follows : 



Statement to include )>er cent pure ger- 

 minating seed, per cent liard seeds, per 

 cent broken and dead seeds, per cent ini- 

 purit3^ Details of impurities in a separate 

 column to include per cent useful seeds, 

 per cent weed seeds, pei' cent sand, foi'eign 

 matter. 



The discussion wliich took place on this 

 matter seemed to indicate the view of 

 some that this form of report woiild serve 

 as a suitable compromise as between the 

 Irish and the continental ' system for 

 testing grass seed, and would serve to 

 neutralize the disadvantage to agriculture 

 in those countries which jiractised the con- 

 tinental system. 



Fear was expressed that some of the 

 seed testing stations might not follow this 

 ])ractice in reporting, and unless all sta- 

 tions followed this practice it was quite 

 obvious that none of them could successful- 

 ly do so unless they were supported from 

 the fact that the law of their country 

 re(iuired the seed to l)e sold under this 

 form of statement. 



Field Tests — Genuineness of Seed Stocks. 



A very interesting paper was read by 

 Mr. Dorph Peterson off Copenhagen, 

 treating with the development in Den- 

 mark of seed testing in respect of the 

 tliird and highly important quality of 

 seeds, namely, geiniineness of seed stocks. 

 ]\Iost of the seed testing stations of North 

 Amei-ica and of Euroi)e are in a position to 

 make determinations only as to the per- 

 centage purity and vitality of tlie seeds of 

 commerce. It cannot be disputed that 

 the genuineness of seed stock may be on 

 the whole of tlie greatest importance to 



