244 SUGAR BEET SEED. 



ments, among which may be mentioned that the seed 

 should be from the last crop. It is admitted that one 

 pound of seed contains 23,000 to 31,000 sprouts. Dur- 

 ing 1895 the ofHcial German and Austrian conditions 

 were very much the same as the French. They were 

 as follows: 



Vienna. Magdeburg. 



Impurities, maximum 3% 3% 



Moisture 15% 12tol5% 



100 seeasmustgive{J2ty|;;;;:;:;;;;-:;; g^|P™J*|: isosprouts. 



100 small seeds must give 130 sprouts. 



Lifeless or dead seeds, maximum 20% 



Lifeless or dead seeds { 14 days { ^^f « 1%%^ fol 



Sprouts per kilogram (2.2 lbs.) 70,000 60 to 70,000 



It is interesting to note that in Vienna, seed is not 

 classed according to size, as in Magdeburg; on the 

 other hand, in Vienna the sprouts are counted after 

 intervals of seven and fourteen days, while in Magde- 

 burg the sprouts are counted after the entire period of 

 the test, which lasts two weeks. It is claimed that the 

 Vienna standards are very favorable for the purchaser, 

 and not for the seller. For example, if we use twenty- 

 two pounds of seed to the acre, there should be 700,000 

 sprouts. If we suppose that the yield is ten tons and 

 each beet weighs a pound, this would be 22,000 beets; 

 >or 22,000 sprouts, or a very small fraction of the 700,- 

 000; this gives a satisfactory margin against insects, etc. 



Calculating Results. 



Upon general principle, the bulletins of seed 

 laboratory examinations should be very simple and 

 contain : 



Moisture per cent., impurities per cent., seeds per gram beets. 

 Number of seeds germinating in seven days "1 



" " " " " fifteen days I !>-. n... 



" " germs " " seven days r — rer uram. 



*• " •* " " fifteeii days J 



Number of seeds germinating in seven days "1 



" " •' " " fifteen days I inns 



'• *' germs *' " seven days f iw oeeaa. 



" " " " " fifteen days J 



