19-21.1 



295 



principal classes of agricultural produce, feeding stuffs and fer- 

 tilisers. Tables are included giving the imports of agricultural 

 j)roduce and requirements, the acreage and production of the 

 chief grain crops, and the numbers of live stock in P)rilish 

 Dominions and foreign countries. 



Since January, 1918, it has been necessary, under the 

 Testing of Seeds Order, 1918, in the case of a sale of all the 

 New Seed pnncipal kinds of Grass, Clover, Field and 

 Rppulatinnq Garden Seeds, for the seller to give a 

 declaration with the seed as to its per- 

 centage of germination, percentage of purity, the presence of 

 injurious weeds, and various other specified" particulars. This 

 Order was the first measure passed in this country for the 

 purpose of controlling the sale of agricultural and gn rden seeds, 

 and brought us into line with most of the countries on the 

 Continent, the United States of America, and several of the 

 British J)ominions and Colonies, where, for a number of years, 

 various regulations for the purpose of preventing the sale of 

 seeds of low vitality and badly contaminated v. ith injurious 

 weed seeds have been in force. The success which has 

 attended the operations of the Order, which was passed under 

 the Defence of the Eealm Pvegulations, and was therefore in, 

 itself a transitory measure, indicated the desirability of making 

 its requirements permanent. This has been effected by the 

 passing of the Seeds Act, 1920, which supersedes the Testing 

 of Seeds Order, 1918, and comes into operation on the 1st August 

 next.* 



As in the case of the Order, the main requirement of the 

 Act is that a declaration as to quality shall be given in the case 

 of all sales of the principal farm and garden seeds. In the 

 case of sales of seed potatoes, a declaration as to the class, 

 variety, size and dressing will also be necessary, and the sale, 

 or sowing, of seeds containing above a prescribed percentage of 

 injurious weed seeds is prohibited. A furtluM- inq^ortant 

 innovation which will come into operation under the Act is 

 that, in the case of seeds other than garden seeds, the test for 

 the purpose of ascertaining particulars to be (l(\'lared by the 

 seller must be carried out at an Official Seed Testing Station, or 

 at a private Testing Station licensed by theMini.stry of Agricul- 

 ture for that purpose. After the 1st August therefore, a 



♦ The provisions of tlic Test iiifi: of Seeds Onlcr. T.^IH, wero ^iven in tliis 

 Journal for July. 11)18. p. 477. and tlie main provision of the Seeds Act, 10*20. 

 in tliis Journtd \'ov October. r.>20. p. ()04. 



