80 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



tests are not necessarily of any value whatever to the latter. On 

 the other hand, neither the seedsman nor the buyer would have 

 equally as good facilities for testing seeds as a Control or Experi- 

 ment Station devoted entirely to that purpose. 



With our present system of State Agricultural Experiment 

 Stations it seems as if seed control work in this country could 

 be best undertaken by some of them. The Department of Agri- 

 culture stands ready to furnish any assistance along this line 

 which properly comes Avithin its province. 



A few of our stations have paid some attention to the testing 

 of seeds, particularly the ISTorth Carolina station, but no definite 

 control has yet come from it. A course on practical seed-testing 

 should be given in all our agricultural colleges, as there is great 

 need in this country among farmers and others for a good knowl- 

 edge of seeds, further than that which is now furnished almost 

 exclusively by seed catalogues, — a very dubious source of infor- 

 mation in many cases. 



Practical lectures along this line should be given at farmers' 

 institutes, before agricultural and horticultural societies, etc., 

 until the farmer and gardener become alive to the importance of 

 the subject and the need for some system of Seed Control. 



I would like to see this Society take steps for the introduction 

 of Seed Control measures within this State, perhaps asking the 

 Legislature to appropriate an adequate sum for equipping and 

 conducting a Seed Control Station, at the same time requiring 

 dealers to furnish their customers with a guarantee of the germi- 

 nation and purity of all seeds sold by them. 



It is not likely that such a bill would be passed Avithout great 

 opposition from the petty dealers and quacks in the seed trade, for 

 it would be a great blow to their operations. On the other hand, 

 although the cost and trouble involved might inconvenience the 

 honorable seedsmen more or less at first, there is no question that 

 in the end such seedsmen would be greatly benefited along with 

 the farmer and gardener, and it is for the best interests of the 

 trade as well as the vast army of seed planters in this country 

 that we make this plea for seed control in America. 



In this paper we have not liad time to deal with the importance 

 of grading seeds according to size and weight. As a usual thing 

 no attention is paid to this matter in the seeds offered to home 

 buyers. When clover seed, for instance, is shipped abroad, our 



