RED CLOVER FRO:^I VARIOUS SOURCES. 



v. M. Muxsox. 



During the seasons of 1902 and 1903 a cooperative study of 

 red clover was made in connection with the United States 

 Department of Agriculture. The object of this study was to 

 determine, if possible, the best source from which to obtain seed 

 for general farm purposes. To this end, seed obtained from 

 various parts of the world, by the Department of Agriculture, 

 was sent to this Station and careful notes were made as to rate 

 and per cent of germination; date of blooming and consequent 

 earliness of crop; date of cutting; yield per acre; general con- 

 dition of the stand ; and characteristics of the plants. 



GERMIXATIOX TESTS. 



The sprouting of seeds in a "seed tester" or on blotting paper 

 often gives erroneous impressions as to the real value of the seed. 

 With, this fact in mind, seeds of each lot were placed upon blot- 

 ting paper under a bell jar, and two duplicate lots were planted 

 in soil in the greenhouse. The comparative results, as also the 

 percentage of germination obtained in case of each at Washing- 

 ton, before the seeds were sent out, are shown in the accompany- 

 ing table. 



In many cases seed which showed a high percentage of sprout- 

 ing when placed under favorable conditions, both at Washington 

 and at the Experiment Station, did not possess sufficient vitality 

 to insure a hea^y stand of plants when covered with soil, a fact 

 which would indicate the necessit}- of hea^w seeding and of light 

 covering in such instances. 



In most cases, the best results in the germination tests Were 

 obtained from seed grown in the higher regions of central 

 Europe — though two lots of seed from Bohemia showed rather 

 low vitality in the soil tests. The most vigorous seeds seemed 

 to be those from Upper Austria, Styria, Hungarian Transyl- 



