1910.] 



PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 



61 



SEED GERMINATION AND SEPARATION. 



BY G. E. STONE. 



The routine work in seed germination and separation has 

 been carried on as in the past. Several methods were tried for 

 the separation of mixtures of seeds, especially of grass seed, 

 bnt work along these lines is not far enough advanced to warrant 

 a report. 



The number of samples of seed sent in for germination far 

 exceeded those of the preceding year (see Table I.), 273 samples 

 of different seeds being received, 92 of which were onion. 

 Onion seed for 1909 seemed better than that of the preceding 

 year, and the average germination of all the seed samples seemed 

 to be a little higher than for 1908. The tobacco seed, especially, 

 gave a higher germination percentage than ever before. Large 

 seeds produce large plants, and if this characteristic is inherited 

 it might be supposed that selection and separation would ulti- 

 mately result in a better strain of seed and better crops. 



