1909.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 57 



with the celery. The average percentage of germination shown 

 is good when one considers the large amount of poor seed which 

 is yearly placed on the market. 



Farmers who use large quantities of seed are naturally 

 more particular about its quality than those who purchase small 

 quantities. Tobacco and onion growers and market gardeners 

 may be considered specialists, and the quality and source of the 

 seed which they purchase are important items with them, making- 

 it a matter of good business to obtain the best seed from the most 

 reliable firms. Since practically all tobacco men grow their own 

 seed they have an opportunity to exercise great care in the 

 selection of their seed plants, and onion growers purchase from 

 reliable dealers ; but the general farmer and the individual who 

 plants only his vegetable and flower garden need only small 

 quantities of seed, and often purchase the so-called " packets " 

 (commission seed) from the local dealer. These seeds are often 

 not true to name and are too frequently worthless as regards 

 quality. 



Mr. Edgar Brown ^ in charge of the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture Seed Laboratory, found that the average 

 germination of 2,^78 packets, including 26 kinds from 27 seed- 

 packeting houses, was only 62.2 per cent. 



The average germination of seeds from one firm was only 37.3 per 

 cent., and from another 44.3 per cent. 



The variation in germination of different packets of the same kind of 

 seed from the same firm was in several cases more than 90 per cent. 



By 21 of the 27 seedsmen whose seed was tested, 200 lots of seed were 

 put up which germinated 10 per cent, or less. 



By 13 packeting houses 62 lots of seed were put up which entirely 

 failed to germinate. 



The avei'age germination of the " commission " seeds tested was 25.7 

 per cent, lower than that of those sent out in the congressional seed 

 distribution during the past six years. 



It is quite evident from the results of Mr. Brown's investiga- 

 tions on seeds — and there is no reason to believe that the re- 

 sults are different than would be obtained from any testing — 

 that we are sadly in need of seed legislation. However, the 

 large dealers in seeds who sell direct to the consumer are not, 



1 Bulletin No. 131, Bureau Plant Industry, United States Department Agriculture, 1908. 



