1921.] Copenhagen Seed Testing Congress. 55B 



Dr. Voigt's paper was a plea for uniformity in methods of 

 making germination tests, and the Congress accepted a number 

 of general directions for use in making germination tests. These 

 matters and also those raised by Mr. Bruijning were referred 

 to the sub-committee mentioned in the note in the July issue of 

 this Journal. 



Mr. Wi den's paper gave rise to a very useful discussion upon 

 the difficulties that arise in connection with the germination 

 of cereals immediately after harvest. Various forms of artificial 

 stimulus were described, such as drying, freezing, clipping and 

 so forth. The general opinion was that such methods were 

 justifiable in that they gave a better impression of the agricul- 

 tural value of the seed, but that in reporting such germination 

 figures to the sender, the fact that some form of pre-germination 

 treatment had been used should be noted. 



Mr. Dorph-Petersen described the field tests which are being 

 made by the Danish Official Seed Testing Station in connection 

 with purity of strain and freedom from disease. Special atten- 

 tion so far has been given to barley and its associated diseases, 

 particularly Pleosj)ora gram'mea. 



Mr. Vitek opened a discussion upon the occurrence of dodder 

 in Southern Europe, and great interest w^as created by a demon- 

 stration by Dr. von Degen of a possible new^ method for the 

 removal of dodder seed from clover. This is based upon the 

 difl^erence in the elasticity of the seed coats of the two kinds of 

 seed, and can be demonstrated very simply. If red clover and 

 dodder seeds are dropped one by one fi'om a height of about 

 eighteen inches into an ordinary saucer, it will be found that the 

 red clover seeds almost all bounce out of the saucer, whereas 

 the dodder seeds, being less resilient, remain in the s;iucer. So 

 far, however, owing to various practical difficulties it has been 

 found impossible to evolve a machine based on this principle. 



The last paper on the list was an echo of the previous Con- 

 gress, and the questions raised were submitted to the sub- 

 committee. 



