818 



Seed Control, 1920-21. 



[Dec, 



elusions from the results of the official analyses of these samples. 

 The principal factors governing the germinative value of seeds 

 are, of course, the condition in which seed is harvested arid the 

 conditions under which it is stored. From a series of observa- 

 tions carried out at the Official Seed Testing Station it was found 

 that high-grade seed stored in good condition lost little of its 

 germinative power in 12 months. As was to be expected, how- 

 ever, the fall in germination of seed of inferior quality, even 

 when well stored, was more marked. In some of the cases in 

 which inquiries were made, as a result of the test of a control 

 sample, it was ascertained that the original test of the seed, 

 before it was offered for sale, was carried out at the Official Seed 

 Testing Station, and in one or two instances it was possible to 

 conduct a series of re-tests of portions of the original sample and 

 of the control sample. A few typical examples are given in the 

 table below. . . , . 



Date of rc- 



Datr, of Germination, test, of furthest Germination, 

 test. per cent. portions of per cent. 



sample. 



Sample No 1 (Crested 



Doo-stail) — 

 Original sample gent to 



Station by wholesale Feb., 1921 88 July, 1921 83 



Control sample taken 



from bulk June, 1921 68 July, 1921 45 



Sample No. 2 (American 



Timothy)— 

 1st sample sent by 



wholesaler Nov., 1920 96 July, 1921 953 



2nd sample sent by 



wholesaler Dec., 1920 94 July, 1921 95 



Control sample taken 



from bulk stored by 



retailer June, 1921 82 July, 1921 76 



Sample No. 3 (Irish 

 Italian Ryegrass) — 

 Sample sent by whole- 

 saler ... ... Nov., 1920 89 June, 1921 86 



Control sample taken 



from bulk May, 1921 72 June, 1921 66 



From these figures it will be seen that under the conditions 

 of storage which exist at the Official Station, the portion of the 

 original sample showed little loss in germination, whereas the 

 results of the re-test of the control sample, which, it must be 

 remembered, was taken from the bulk stored by the seller, 

 indicated that the seed was deteriorating rapidly. While, theie- 

 fore, the increase in the percentage number of cases in wh : ch 

 the declared figure of germination was below the figure stated 

 by the vendor may be' attributed largely to the conditions pre- 



