^2 Maine: agriculturai, experiment station. 1909. 



Agricueturae Seed Inspection. 



During the year 1908, the chief work in connection with seed 

 inspection was to make it possible for wholesale dealers in 

 Maine to place proper guarantees on their seeds. Seed houses 

 outside of the State will not sell guaranteed seeds. It is there- 

 fore necessary, in order that the wholesale trade in Maine shall 

 know the quality of the seeds which they are handling to have 

 them examined. It was believed that by making these exam- 

 inations free for dealers that greater advances would be made 

 in the quality of the seeds handled in Maine than in any other 

 way ; consequently during the spring months a large number of 

 samples (291) were examined for dealers in Maine. About 432 

 official samples were collected and quite a large percentage of 

 these have been examined. The official samples, for the most 

 part, corresponded fairly closely with the guaranties which the 

 dealers had placed upon the goods. Because of a defect in the 

 law the opinion was held that prosecutions could not be main- 

 tained and therefore no attempt was made during the season of 

 1908 to follow up the violations of the seed law. This matter 

 has been amended by the present legislature so that it is believed 

 that the requirements of the seed law can be enforced. 



Quite a large number of samples have been examined for 

 dealers thus far in 1909. It is proposed during the months of 

 April and May to collect samples and compare them with their 

 guaranties. Dealers will take notice that many excuses that 

 have been accepted in the past, will no longer be accepted as 

 valid reasons for not bringing a case to trial. Neglect to con- 

 form to the requirements of the law will be considered as though 

 they were wilful violations. It is now 12 years that the seed 

 law has been upon the statute books. While dealers cannot buy 

 guaranteed seeds outside of the State, they have no excuse for 

 not knowing the purity of the seeds which they handle, as the 

 Station has offered to make free examination of all samples 

 taken and submitted in accordance with its directions. Maine 

 wholesale dealers are prepared to supply retailers with guar- 

 anteed seeds. 



