CULTURE OF GRASSES 43 



That is out of 100 seed tested 95 or 90 should germinate 

 in about 2 weeks. Of course the actual percentage can 

 not be determined unless a definite number of seeds had 

 been counted out. But as said before a rough estimate 

 of the quality can be made, without counting. 



It is evident that the price to be paid for seed depends 

 on the purity and viability. Of the ordinary pasture and 

 meadow grasses timothy is the only one that, when 

 purchased of reliable dealers, is likely to show nearly 100 

 per cent purity and viability. Others, especially Ken- 

 tucky bluegrass, show great variation. Low grade seed 

 is dear at any price and high grade seed may not always 

 be above suspicion. Much of the failure to obtain good 

 results with grasses other than timothy may be due to 

 using a poor quality of seed. It should be borne in mind 

 that the farmer always may have recourse to his State 

 Experiment Station or to the Seed Laboratory of the 

 U. S. Department of Agriculture. A full account of seed 

 testing may be found in Farmers' Bulletin (U. S. Dept. 

 Agriculture) no. 428 entitled Testing Farm Seeds in the 

 Home and in the Rural School, by F. H. Hillman. This 

 bulletin may be obtained on application to Secretary of 

 Agriculture. 



