OSWALD] 



SEED TESTING 



13 



arouse interest in many students and perhaps more particularly 

 the boys, when the aesthetic lure of the meadow or forest fails 

 to attract. 



Such a subject is the study of seeds, and one of the most in- 

 terest stimulating phases of this large subject is that of seed 

 testing. 



The subject of ''Seed Testing" is a phase of Nature work 

 which can easily be presented in rural, graded and high schools. 

 It is admirably adapted for practical exercise work in schools 

 since it can be easily carried on at any season of the year, and 

 the cost of apparatus or working material is little or nothing. 

 If this subject is presented properly it will create much inter- 

 est and will at the same time be both instructive and practical. 

 It will lead, moreover, to increased interest for the student in 

 the study of field crops, the identification of weed seeds, espe- 

 cially as found in commercial seed, in the study of weeds and 

 their relation to farm and garden crops, in the physiological and 

 ecological features of seeds, and finally it is most excellent 

 material for training in keenness of observation in detecting 

 minute differences in seed structures. The importance of seed 

 testing is readily seen in the enormous annual loss caused by 

 weeds. 



Weeds are brought onto the farm in many ways ; by wind, 

 by birds and animals, by water, by machinery ; but one of the 

 most important methods is the sowing of impure seed. Crop 

 seeds are often very badly mixed with weed seeds as well as with 

 chaff and dirt. This condition most frequently is brought 

 about by carelessness in threshing and cleaning the harvest. 

 Nevertheless, the impurities are sometimes not only not acci- 

 dental, but they may be intentional adulterations. Unscrupulous 



Fig. -2. 



Fig. 1 Fig. 2. 



Fig. 1. Pure Red Clover Seed. 

 Red Clover Seed Mixed with Dirt and Weed Seed. 



