Summary of Seeds Eegulations, 1921. [July, 



Forest Tree Seed. 



(1) Name and address of seller. 



(2) That the seeds have been tested in accordance with the provisions 



of the Seeds Act, 1920. 



(3) Kind of seed. 



(4) Percentage of purity. 



(5) Percentage of germination (except in the case of broadleaved 



species). 



(6) Date of collection of seeds. 



(7) Country of origin. 



Kegulation 4 prescribes the injurious weed seeds to which reference is 

 made in Section 3 of the Act and Regulation 3 (1) (e) and (j). Under Section 3 

 of the Act it is illegal to sell or sow seeds containing more than a prescribed 

 percentage of these injurious weeds (the percentage has been fixed at 

 5 per cent, by w^eight), and under Regulation 3 (e) and (j) they must be 

 declared to be present when present to a greater extent than 1 per cent, in 

 the case of grass and 2 per cent, in the case of clover seed. 



Regulation 5 prescribes the method in which samples must l)e taken for 

 testing, the quantity of seed to be used for testing, &c. 



Regulation 6 describes the circumstances in which a licence may be 

 issued, exempting a sale of seeds from the requirements of Section 1 of 

 the Act. 



Regulation 7 defines such terms as " percentage of purity," ''percentage 

 of germination," &c. 



The First, Second, Third and Fourth Schedules set out the 

 " authorised minimum percentages of germination." In the case of sales of 

 certain kinds of seed, when the percentage of germination is at or above the 

 authorised minima, this fact may be declared instead of the actual percentage 

 of germination. 



The Fifth Schedule prescribes the limits of variation which will be 

 allowed in connection with discrepancies in the percentages of germination, 

 purity, and of injurious weed seeds. For instance, where the percentage of 

 germination is stated by the seller to be 90 per cent., it shall not be deemed to 

 be incorrect if the seed is shown to germinate 6 per cent, more or 6 per cent, 

 less than that figure. 



THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE SEEDS ACT, 1920, COMPARED WITH 

 THOSE OF THE TESTING OF SEEDS ORDER, 1918. 



The provisions of the Seeds Act, 1920, and of the Draft Seeds Regulations, 

 1921, are mainly the same as those required under the Testing of Seeds Order, 

 1918, which has been in operation since January, 1918. There are, however, 

 certain alterations which have been made in the light of the Ministry's 

 experience in administering the Order: The principal alterations may be 

 summarised as follows : — 



Seeds Act, 1920. 



1. Power to issue Regidations. — The Minister is empowered to issue Regu- 

 lations for carrying the Act into effect provided that such Regulations are 

 drafted in consultation with the interests concerned (Section 7 (1)). 



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