44 



PLANT PROPAGATION 



FIG. 35 SMALL SCALE SEED TESTING 



price. Low price is almost surely an index of low quality. 

 73. Questions to consider in testing seed i. I s the seed to be 

 purchased truly named? If not, it should be refused. Seed pur- 

 porting to be Tri folium re- 

 pens (white clover) but really 

 T. parviflorum (a worthless 

 clover species) should be re- 

 fused and the seller perhaps 

 sued for fraud. Species can 

 usually be identified, but va- 

 rieties must generally be grown before they can. 



2. Is the seed fresh or old? Old seeds may be treated to make 

 them look fresh, but that won't put life in them. "When mixed with 

 new seed they reduce the value 



because they are probably dead. 

 This trick of the trade is far 

 less practiced than formerly. It 

 constitutes a fraud and is pun- 

 ishable by law. Mere number of 

 years does not necessarily make 

 seed "old." Some seeds (see 

 table p. 49) retain vitality ten or 

 more years. They properly de- 

 serve still to be called "fresh" 

 if they germinate well. Repu- 

 table seedsmen, after testing 

 their "returned" seeds offer the 

 good samples for sale again. 

 This is perfectly legitimate. F , G . 36-ELABORATE PROPAGATING 



3. Has a cheaper seed been OVEN 



mixed with the desired kind? A , galvanized iron earth tray; a, 

 VellOW trefoil seed superficially plants in pots; B, water tank filled by 

 resembles, and is sometimes used funnel, F; C, chamber heated by lamp, 



to adulterate, red and alsike D; b> b ' air intakes; E > removable top. 



Gias Glass clovers and alfalfa. Cock's-foot 



grass seed may be adulterated 

 with meadow fescue or perennial 

 rye grass and charlock seed, per- 

 haps baked to kill it so its seed- 

 lings will not betray the fraud, 

 may be mixed with cabbage, rape 

 and similar seeds. 



4. How pure is the sample? 

 The percentage of seeds true to 

 name is of great importance. The 

 impurities should be identified 



Sand 



FIG. 37 SIMPLE PROPAGATING weeds and their species, seeds of 



OVEN other cultivated plants, chaff, bits 



With dimensions at 2 feet high the of stem, leaf and pods, dirt, etc. 



glass would be 10x12 inches. Very bad weed seeds should be 



