16 BULLETIN 692, U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGEICULTUEE. 



distinguished from seed grown in this country when considered in 

 bulk quantity. This seed has been imported under the names 

 Agrostis stolonifera, Agrostis canina, creeping bent, South German 

 agrostis, South German fiorin, or some similar name, and as Rhode 

 Island bent. 



One hundred samples of seed imported under some one of the above 

 names or a similar name and taken at random from among custom- 

 house samples representing importations prior to 1915 were labeled 

 as follows: '^Agrostis stolonifera," 54 samples; "Agrostis canina," 

 27 samples; "creeping bent," 9 samples; "South German fiorin," 3 

 samples; "German fiorin," 2 samples; "German agrostis," 2 sam- 

 ples ; ' ' Rhode Island bent," 2 samples ; and ' ' True German agrostis," 

 1 sample. Of these samples, 5 consisted of redtop only, while 25 

 contained redtop as the principal ingredient. In the remaining 70 

 samples, seed of the finer bent grasses predominated. Seed of velvet 

 bent was present in each of the 95 samples, and in some this appeared 

 to amount to as much as 40 per cent or more of the mixture. The 

 remaining undetermined fine bent seed in these lots predominated 

 in most of the 70 samples. 



From a' wider range of samples of imported seed, 27 were found to 

 consist of redtop only. But 4 of these samples were imported as 

 redtop, the others being labeled as follows: "Agrostis stolonifera," 

 9 samples.; "creeping bent," 5 samples; "grass seed," 5 samples; 

 "fancy agrostis," 2 samples; "Agrostis canina," 1 sample; and "Agros- 

 tis vulgaris," 1 sample. Careful examination of these samples of 

 redtop seed failed to show any evidence that the seed was produced 

 in Europe, and good reasons appeared for believing that it was grown 

 in this country. Instances were also noted of the entry of seed of 

 the finer bents, labeled "redtop." 



The importations of Agrostis during 1916 represented 48 lots, 

 totaling 46,663 pounds. Two lots amounting to 1,508 pounds con- 

 sisted of redtop only. One lot only, of 3,900 pounds, was South 

 German mixed bent seed. The remaining 45 lots, totaling 41,255 

 pounds, came from a single firm in Arnheim, HoUand. The seed in 

 each of these lots was chiefly redtop, together with South German 

 mixed bents varying in quantity from a mere trace to an appreciable 

 proportion. Of the 48 lots imported in 1916, 27 were entered as 

 "creeping bent," 17 as "Rhode Island bent," 2 as "Agrostis canina," 

 1 as "Agrostis stolonifera," and 1 as "redtop." One of the two lots 

 of redtop was imported as "redtop"; the other as "creeping bent." 

 The single lot of South German mixed bent seed was imported as 

 "Rhode Island bent." 



Owing to the European war no importations of South German 

 mixed bent seed were made in 1917 or prior to March 6, in 1918, 

 the date of this writing. 



