BULLETIN 148. 



SEED TESTS. 



Introduction : 



The seed tests herewith reported were made under the pro- 

 visions of the Pure Seed Law enacted by the General Court in 

 1909. This law was the outcome of the general agitation for a 

 better quality of agricultural seeds which is being made by those 

 interested all over the country, and New Hampshire may con- 

 gratulate herself upon being in the van of such a progressive 

 movement. A numl)er of other states have enacted similar laws 

 which have operated for the improvement of seeds in regard to 

 both purity and vitality, and so satisfactory have been the results 

 tluit the indications are that it is only a matter of time until we 

 shall have federal legislation establishing Seed Control Stations 

 which shall have supervision of all §eeds offered for sale in any 

 state. 



Seed laboratories have been in operation in Germany for a long 

 time and as a result much of the seed which was unmarketable 

 under the German regulations has been exported to the United 

 States and used in the adulteration of the better grades of domes- 

 tic-grown seeds. Our farmers are beginning to realize the im- 

 portance of good seeds and of knowing something about the kind 

 and amount of impurities which may be contained in them as well 

 as the percentage of them which will germinate. 



During the year 238 samples of seed were examined, 51 of 

 these for both purity and germination, 185 for germination only 

 and 2 for purity only. It should be stated that we do not attempt 

 to determine the purity of different varieties of corn, oats, barley, 

 peas, beans, melons, etc., except as to the amount of dirt they 

 contain, because this can only be done by having these seeds 

 reproduce their plants and fruit. 



The writer desires to acknowledge his ai)preciati()n of the 

 work of Mr. W. L. Slate, Jr., assistant in Agronomy, who made 

 the tests and examinations of the samples herewith reported. 



