CI ■ >- ■ fT f". : 





104 



The Florists^ Review 



JULT 15, 1020 



PURE SEED PROBLEMS. 



Wisconsin's Seed Control Lav. 



Before the Wisconsin seed control law 

 was passed; in 1909, the agricultural 

 college and the experiment station were 

 trying by educational methods to per- 

 suade farmers and dealers to acquire 

 more accurate knowledge concerning the 

 quality of the seeds sold and used for 

 the production of field crops. These 

 appeals met with only a small response. 

 The year before the law went into effect, 

 ?rom July 1, 1908, to June 30, 1909, 851 

 samples of seed were tested. The law 

 became effective July 1, 1909, and from 

 then to June 30, 1910, 1,795 samples 

 were received at the laboratory. No 

 traveling inspectors were employed un- 

 til 1913. The number of samples im- 

 mediately began to increase and in 

 1915-16, 4,231 samples were analyzed in 

 the laboratory. 



Opportunities for Tests. 



Prom the first it was the policy of 

 the seed control division to cooperate as 

 closely as possible with the seedsmen and 

 dealers and the inspectors were instruct- 

 ed to give all aid and information pos- 

 sible. Dealers were told that where the 

 seed had been mixed to make a uniform 

 lot, one sample carefully taken from the 

 lot was enough. They were also told 

 they were at liberty to make their own 

 tests if they were sufficiently familiar 

 with methods of testing to make their 

 analyses reliable or if they employed a 

 competent analyst. They were also told 

 that they might have their tests made 

 by county agents, principals of county 

 agricultural schools, the federal seed 

 laboratories, at Washington, D. C, and 

 La Fayette, Ind., or by any other person 

 or organization capable of making 

 reliable tests. This, of course, resulted 

 in lessening the number of samples sent 

 to our own laboratory and in 1918-19 

 only 2,978 samples were received. This 

 small number was not entirely due to 

 tests made elsewhere, but, to some ex- 

 tent, to a lessened seed supply and hence 

 a smaller number of lots sampled. 



Results of Inspection. 



The inspection has resulted in a 

 gradual improvement in the quality of 

 the seeds offered on the Wisconsin 

 market. The first year, 1909-10, the 

 analysis showed an average purity of 

 92.1 per cent and an average germina- 

 tion of 82.5 per cent for all seeds. Five 

 years later the figures were, purity 93 

 per cent and germination 86.1 per cent. 

 At the end of the ten years, or in 1918- 

 •19, the averages were, purity 96.6 per 

 cent and germination 89 per cent. 



Wisconsin is one of the states in 

 which the law makes no exception in 

 favor of the farmers. The majority of 

 the farmers who grow seed for sale be- 

 long to the Agricultural Experiment 

 Association. A letter was sent to each 

 of the 1,500 members of this association 

 giving the law's requirements and in 

 this and other ways the information 

 has been spread until it is safe to say 

 that the sale of unlabeled seeds by 

 farmers is the exception rather than the 

 rule. 



The division's experience in seed 

 control has brought it into direct con- 



From the paper on "Seed Testing Ezperi- 

 onces" read by A. L. Stone, of the Wisconsin 

 state department of agriculture, at the thirty- 

 eighth annual convention of the American Seed 

 Trade Association, held at Milwaukee, June 22 

 to 24. 



urpee*s 

 Peas 



GLIHERS 



One of Burpee's New 



Winter-Flowering 



Spencer Sweet Peas 



EVENTUALLY, every Flo- 

 rist and Commercial 

 Grower will plant Bur- 

 pee's New Early- or Winter- 

 Flowering Spencer Sweet Peas. 



We say this in all confidence, 

 for the Burpee list contains the 

 finest varieties yet to be offered, 

 in a complete range of colors, 

 including the most desirable 

 Florist shades. 



Bnrpee'i Sweet Pea List for Floriiti 



is now ready. Every Florist and Grower 

 should have it. Write for a free copy 

 today. 



TA^ Aflee Burpee Co^ 



Seed Growers Philadelphia 



Do You Grow Sweet Peas? 



Then Good Seed Should Interest You 

 All Varieties of Zvolanek's Famoas Sweet Pea Seed in Stock 



SEND FOR LIST 



C. C. POLLWORTH CO. 



MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN 



BOLQIANO'S 



««Bia CROP" SEEDS 



**T«stod and Trustad" Ovar a Cantury 



8»«dal Prie* Liat to Floriata aod Market Gardmian. 



Writ* for a eopjr at ooee— It will 



aava yoa monar. 



J. BOLQIANO A SON. BaHlmora. Md. 



tact with the crop breeders' associa- 

 tions, as well as with members of the 

 A. S. T. A. Are the two inimical! Not 

 necessarily. Experiment s t a t i on s 

 throughout this and other states and 

 countries are painstakingly striving to 

 improve well known varieties and pro- 



Seeds, Bulbs tnd Horticultural 

 Supplies 



BECKERT'S SEED STORE 



101103 Federal St., PITTSBURGH, PA. 



duce new varieties of crop plants. Crop 

 breeders' associations furnish an excel- 

 lent medium through which state-wide 

 trials may be made on different soils 

 and under varying climatic conditions. 

 Usually each member is supplied with 

 enough seed to sow or plant an acre. 



