64 



On December 31, 1908, a meeting of the State and Federal seed analysts was called 

 for the purpose of uniting them in an organization in support of uniform state legislation, 

 and for revising the regulations for seed testing. This was the beginning of the 

 Association of Official Seed Analysts of North America, which has met in annual convention 

 since that time. (At the second annual meeting, a bill was formulated as a basis for 

 uniform State" legisration governing the trade in agricultural seeds. This was discussed 

 with the Seed Trade Associations of the United States and revised irom year to year as 

 the result of suggestions and criticisms of both the seed analysts and the seed trade. ^ 

 This co-operation resulted in turning th^ opposition to State legislation on the part of the 

 seed trade to endorsement of it until ' Ihirty-- seven States now have laws regulating 

 the sale of agricultural seeds, the later ones following closely the uniform bill. These 

 State laws are primarily labeling laws, requiring a statement of the name and 

 address of the seller, the kind of seed and the percentages of pure seed, weed seeds, 

 and germination. 



One of the most helpful lines of activity of the Association of Official Seed Analysts 

 of North America has been the work of the referees on 'methods of testing seeds. Each 

 year a set of samples has been distributed to official analysts, Federal and State. These 

 have been tested and the results reported and discussed at the meetings. In this way, 

 the practices followed in the different seed testing laboratories have been compared and 

 any discrepancies brought to light. Out of the reports of the referees, have developed 

 modifications of the regulations for seed testing. 



In the determination of the pure seed of grasses, only their caryopses containing 

 embryos are considered as pure seed, and those without embryos are considered as 

 inert matter. 



In 1912, the Seed Importation Act became a law, restricting the quality of specified 

 seeds imported into the United States. This Act establishes standards of pure live seed 

 and of freedom from adulterants and weed seeds which must be reached by all seeds before 

 they are permitted entry into tiie United States. The Act provides, however, that seeds may 

 be recleaned under government supervision for the purpose of making them comply with 

 the Act, the refuse removed in such cleaning to be destroyed and not exported. 



All lots of seed subject to this Act are sampled by the United States Customs Service, ' 

 the samples being submitted to the United States Department tif Agriculture for examination 

 as to quality. Samples are required from twenty per cent of the sacks of each lot. If 

 the first test shows the seed to fall below the requirements of this Act, retests are made 

 and second samples are drawn and tested whenever the interested parties so desire. The 

 final action in the case of each shipment is based on tests made by the United States 

 Department of Agriculture. 



The v^olume of the international trade of the United States in agricultural seeds for 

 the years 1914 — 1919 is shown in the following table, as reported by the Department 

 of Commerce. 



