32 maine agricultural experiment station. 



Bulletin No. 36. 



TESTING SEEDS. 

 Chas. D. Woods. 



The law printed below was enacted last winter by the Maine 

 legislature. The necessity for such a law is manifest. Few,, 

 however, who have not given the subject some study are aware 

 of the extent of the inconvenience and loss to which farmers are 

 subjected by the introduction of pernicious weeds through 

 impure seeds. As a case in point there may be mentioned the 

 introduction from Northern New York into West Gardiner of 

 the King-Devil Weed, to which attention has just been called 

 in a newspaper bulletin. This new and dangerous pest has 

 firmly established itself in West Gardiner, has spread to' the 

 adjacent towns of Gardiner and Farmingdale, has crossed the 

 Kennebec and has been recently reported from Wlnslow, 

 twenty miles north of the point first named. The weed was 

 undoubtedly brought in with grass seed and furnishes a good 

 illustration of the ease with which a new pest may be estab- 

 lished and the difficulty which may attend its eradication. 



In nearly all the large countries of Europe the testing of seeds 

 has for some years been the subject of legislative action. Seed 

 control stations, having for their object the testing of the purity 

 and germinative power of seeds, have been from time to time 

 established, until there are now, in Europe alone, over one hun- 

 dred in active operation. Similar stations exist also in Brazil,. 

 Java and Japan. 



An Act to regulate the sale of Agricultural Seeds. 

 Section 1. Every lot of seeds of agricultural plants, whether 

 in bulk or in package, containing one pound or more, and includ- 

 ing the seeds of cereals, (except sweet corn), grasses, forage 

 plants, vegetables, and garden plants, but not including those 

 of trees, shrubs and ornamental plants, which is sold, offered or 

 exposed for sale for seed by any person or persons in Maine, 

 shall be accompanied by a written or printed guarantee of its 

 percentage of purity, freedom from foreign matter; provided,.. 



