15 



After this digression, which may serve as a short introduction throwing some light 

 upon my personal view regarding the possibility of unification of methods, I will now 

 return to a discussion of the several views which may he taken with regard to the 

 purity-test, and their effects upon Internjational Trade. 



Ascertainment of purity is founded upon the sifting of the seed to he tested, into "pure" 

 and "impure", the latter being either noxious or harmless. The first question that arises 

 here is: What do the terms "pure" and "impure" imply? In order to obviate confusion 

 which might become inevitable through the accumulation of data, I have brought together 

 in Appendix B all that is to be found on that question in the methods in use at 

 Wageningen, and you will allow me to refer to said Appendix, if necessary. Treating 

 the matter in general we at once observe two essential differences. Waiving details we 

 may say that in determining the germinating power and purity of seed, Wageningen 

 follows the so-called "Continental Method", in contradistinction to our English colleagues, 

 who apply the "English Method", also called the "Irish Method", as it has always found 

 a very vigilant champion in our coUeague Mr. Pethybridge. The Irish_ method is really 

 the older one, and ^t the start it was used at Wageningen too. 28 years ago I adopted 

 the Continental method for all species of grass-seeds. The apparatus and materials 

 necessary for this investigation, have gradually acquired a satisfactory degree of perfection 

 in our institute. All persons present are aware, thtit according to the Continental method, 

 many seeds, especially gTaste-seeds, are at first examined in the usual way by direct light, 

 and afterwards by translucent light, by which method all empty seeds are detected a,nd 

 reckoned as impurities. Only the full seeds are admitted to the determination of the 

 germinatuig power. According to the Irish method the examination by translucent light 

 is not used and consequently the halfempty and empty seeds are tested for germinating- 

 power. This is an essential difference and seemingly an unsurmountable impediment to an 

 unification of methods. The Irish "purity" contains seeds having no caryopses at all and 

 of no use whatever for agriculture. Therefore the valuation of this seed with respect to 

 the purity is too high, but as regards the germinating power the figure is often far too 

 low. Indeed, the Irish figure stated for purity cannot be called right, no more than any 

 Irish figure for germinating power. Moreover, when using the Irish method, the germination 

 beds sometimes presented a far less healthy aspect than the pthers, which made prudence 

 quite advisable. So we encountered an impediment that seemed to shut off from every 

 approach in the methods of procedure. Indeed I cannot consider an English figure, either for 

 germinating power or for purity, otherwise than as an unsafe basis for international transactions. 



However, Gentlemen, this is not a vital question. The chief object of this congress 

 I do not take to be an extensive but fruitless discussion of the merits of either method; 

 for opinions about it may vary. I intend to waive this question altogether and to restrict 

 myself to considering what we might do to conciliate the two. parties so as to lead to an 

 easy-moving world-traffic, and to protect the Trade from the difficulties hitherto experienced 

 on account of the stations' being at variance. 



Let us, for the time being, observe the following determination of the Trade-Value 

 of grass- and clover-seeds ; in the case of these seeds and of most of the others a mediatory 

 proposal may prove to be possible. 



Generally speaking the determination of the value of the seed must be founded on 



numerous factors, and especially so the determination of Trade-Value while several factors 



are more prominent than in the case of valuing seeds for agriculture. The reverse may 



be also the case : some factors are of more weight for trade than they are for agriculture. 



But when comparing two samples of the same qualities of colour and smell, and both of 



the same variety (approved of, at a field-inspection), the value of the samples will be 



found comparable when the figures for the use-value have been found. As a rule the 



figures for real-value are calculated from the figures for the germinating power and the 



&p 'xP 

 purity, according to the- simple formula: real-value = — ---- — . In Holland a longtime 



