142 



EXPERIMENT STATION. 



[Jan. 



The work in seed separation for 1910 was carried on as usual, 

 and altbough a smaller number of samples was separated than 

 in 1909, the total amount of seed separated, 1,552 pounds, was 

 greater. Of this, 1,183 pounds were onion seed. The principal 

 varieties of seed separated were onion, tobacco and lettuce. The 

 separation of onion seed also tends to show that the seed was 

 not as good this year as it was in 1909, as the average percent- 

 age of good seed was only 88.7 per cent., while the amount of 

 discarded seed was slightly larger than in 1909. As in years 

 j^ast, several growers have requested that this station test the 

 germination of seed both before and after separation, and the 

 results this year resemble those of previous seasons so closely 

 that they will not be inserted in this report. In the case of 

 the separation of lettuce seed, the grower sending the seed often 

 requests that a certain amount, sometimes in excess of the actual 

 need, be taken out. This, however, is believed to be a good 

 practice in the case of lettuce or tobacco seed, as it is certain that 

 better germination results from removing more than is abso- 

 lutely necessary. Table 2 shows the records of seed separation 

 for 1910. 



Table 2. — Records of Seed Separation, 1910. 



No effort has been made on the part of the station as yet to 

 establish and maintain a seed-control laboratory for the purpose 

 of testing the purity of seed, and therefore in the past year the 

 number of samples of seed sent in for examination as to their 

 purity has been small. In all, some 30 samples have been ex- 

 amined ; mostly clovers and grasses, but as this work takes con- 

 siderable time, no grass mixtures have been examined for 

 purity. 



