70 FARM GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 



ber of germinating seeds in a pound. The following 

 are taken from his list : 



KIND OP SEED 



Germination 

 Per cent. 



(jrerm mating' 

 Seeds 

 Number in 1 lb. 



Blue-grass, Kentucky 



Meadow-fescue 



85 



1,581,000 



99 



233.640 



Meadow-foxtail 



90 

 95 



441,000 



Orchard-grass 



404,700 



Rve-grass, English 



Rye-grass, Italian 



96 



214,080 



98 



264,600 





96 



236,160 





90 



124,200 





98 



1,293.600 



Sweet vernal 



80 



590,400 



Since the American seedsmen give no form of guar- 

 antee with their seeds, buyers must determine for 

 themselves the quality of seed offered for sale. 



There is a great need for more regularly established 

 seed-testing stations, where farmers may send samples 

 of seed for analysis, and so know the relative value of 

 seeds offered on the market, and consequently secure 

 the quality of seed desired at a reasonable price. 



SEED CONTROL AND SEED TESTING 



While properly framed seed laws would tend to 

 improve the quality of seed on the market, farmers are 

 not helpless in the absence of such laws. Good seeds 

 will be supplied whenever the buyer demands them if 

 the dealer know 7 s that w 7 hat he offers is to be tested 

 and the purchase made according to the result of the 

 test. This is the system which has improved the qual- 

 ity of seeds in Europe, and any one can send samples 

 to any of the numerous European seed-testing stations 



