2 N. H. EXPERIMENT STATION. 



The new law llieii does specifically two things: (1) it 

 labels all seeds of alfalfa and red clover which come from 

 foreign countries whether of desirable origin or otherwise ; 

 and (2) all seeds of these two species imported from coun- 

 tries whose seeds have been formally determined by the 

 Secretary of Agriculture to be unadapted to general use in 

 the United States carry a warning color of red on sufficient 

 numbers of seeds to be very conspicuous. This regulation 

 should prove of considerable value to the farmers of our 

 country. It protects the grower of alfalfa and red clover 

 seed from having his product indiscriminately mixed with 

 im])orted seed on the market. The buyer's interests are 

 protected against adulteration, if lie chooses to buy native 

 seed ; and particularly against certain undesirable sources 

 in southern Europe or elsewhere from which seed ill-suited 

 to our environment may be obtained. Many samples of 

 seeds collected this year show the color which denotes that 

 they are imported, and thus this law is being effectively 

 administered. However, presumably undesirable seeds, i.e., 

 those branded with red, have not been found in any of the 

 samples. 



The total inimber of seed samples tested in the laboratory 

 this year is five hundred and fourteen. Besides about sixty 

 samples sent in by individuals for private tests, twenty so- 

 called "referee samples" sent out by the American Asso- 

 ciation of Official Seed Analysts for purposes of comparing 

 the work of the different state laboratories of the United 

 States and checking them up on methods and equipment 

 used a small number of retests, etc, there are three hun- 

 dred and ninety-eight official samples reported in this bulle- 

 tin. These official samples are collected by the Commis- 

 sioner of Agriculture and sent to the seed testing 

 laboratory accompanied by such guarantees of purity, 

 germination, etc., as may be found with them at the place 

 where they are offered for sale. The state seed law requires 

 that this work be done and designates certain qualities in 



