152 MAINE STATE COLLEGE 



quite so good, that only about 50 per cent, of Atwood's seeds 

 will sprout and that Lyman's seeds are very poor. The garden 

 seeds from Delano, Moore were grown in Aroostook County and 

 showing such vitality they give a promising outlook for Maine 

 seed growers. 



Remarks. 



The most of the seeds offered for sale in Maine are not grown 

 in the State, but are sold by growers outside of the State directly 

 to the farmers, or are sold on commission by dealers in the State. 

 Other seeds grown outside the State are purchased in bulk by 

 wholesale Maine seedsmen and by them retailed loose, or in 

 packets. Reliable seedsmen, in the autumn or winter, gather the 

 seeds not sold by Commission Merchants and replace them by new. 

 The seeds offered by some dealei s would indicate that old seed is 

 redistributed. It is to the interest of growers, wholesale dealers 

 and packers to sell good seed, for a reputation can not be sustained 

 with inferior seeds. It is to the interest of Commission Merchants 

 to handle only reliable seeds. Failure of crops from poor seed is 

 liable to create suspicion. The tests made by the Station confirm 

 the judgment of growers, for those seeds found to be poor, are 

 the ones the farmers suspect and the merchants will not recom- 

 mend. We need no State law to regulate this matter as it will 

 sooner or later regu'ate itself. Farmers by always selecting good 

 seed will drive poor seed from the market. 



The object of testing seeds at the Station is to point out 

 reliable growers and those dealers in Maine who put up, or handle 

 on commission, the seeds of reliable growers. We do not con- 

 duct these experiments to test the honesty of seedsmen, but in the 

 interest of both planter and seedsmen, that the grower may know 

 what seeds are reliable and that the dealer may know where to 

 obtain them. 



Our tests show that the seeds of some dealers, wherever taken 

 in the State, have a high germinating power, while the seeds of 

 others are invariably poor. IMost Commission Merchants offer for 

 sale the seeds of several growers, and it is the object of germina- 

 tion tests to show which growers puts up the best seeds. There is 

 not care enough taken by many farmers in the selection of seed. 

 Where no preference is expressed the Merchant is liable to dispose 

 of the poorer seed. Farmers are sometimes in a hurry, and when 

 the seed they usually plant cannot be readily had, they take almost 



