B. P. I.—311. 
IMPORTED LOW-GRADE CLOVER AND 
ALFALFA SEED. 
By Epcar Brown, Botanist in Charge of Seed Laboratory, and MAmir L. Crossy, 
Assistant, Seed Laboratory. 
4 
INTRODUCTION. 
During the calendar year 1906-the United States exported 3,615,873 
pounds of clover seed, and during the latter half of the same year 
imported 6,306,561 pounds, the exports for the year being only a 
a little more than one-half the imports for six months. The same 
condition holds true with alfalfa seed, the imports far exceeding the 
exports. The relatively large importation of these seeds results 
from short crops in this country and a constantly increasing demand 
on account of the new land being brought under cultivation and the 
extension of diversified farming. 
Illustrations of typical samples of imported red clover and alfalfa 
seed of good quality and that of low grade are shown in Plate IV. 
WHY LOW-GRADE SEED IS IMPORTED. 
In Europe seed testing has been gradually growing in favor for 
forty years and is now recognized as,an important aid to agriculture. 
All the European countries, with the exception of Spain and Turkey, 
have seed-testing stations, varying in number from one in Italy to 
twenty-eight in Germany. Each of them has the necessary equip- 
ment for making complete tests of seed, both for mechanical purity 
and for germination. | 
The test for mechanical purity as conducted in these stations 
‘includes not only the determination of the percentage of pure seed 
and of other seeds and dirt, but also the size and source of the seed. 
The source of the seed is determined by the characteristic weed seeds 
which are found. While errors are no doubt made, these determi- 
nations are of great value in showing that at least a part of the 
seed was raised in a certain section, and they furnish information as 
to the probable adaptability of the seed to local conditions. Through 
the work of thése stations the people have come to appreciate the 
importance of good seed, and as the greater part of that now used in 
Europe is sold on the basis of accurate tests for mechanical purity and 
germination the sale of low-grade seed has been greatly reduced. 
A similar condition exists in Canada, where there is a strict law 
governing the quality of seed sold. In this country, however, only 
111—1i1I LL7¢ 
Be Se ae ee 
