1144 



Official Seed Testing Station. 



[Mar., 



With the passing of the Seeds Act, 1920, the direct control 

 of the Official Seed Testing Station was delegated by the 

 Official Seed Ministry to the Council of the National 



Testing Station I nst ^ ute °f Agricultural Botany, Cam- 

 ° ' bridge. The Annual Eeport of the Official 



Seed Testing Station for the season 1920-21 is being pub- 

 lished by the Institute and will shortly be obtainable at a 

 nominal charge on application to the Secretary of the Institute, 

 Huntingdou Koad, Cambridge. 



The following notes summarise the results of the past season's 

 work, and indicate the nature of the subjects dealt with in the 

 Eeport. 



(1) The number of samples tested during the season 1920-21 

 was 23,577, an increase of 3 per cent, on the previous 

 season's total. This is exclusive of about 1,500 samples of 

 packet seeds tested on behalf of the Seed Control Branch t)f 

 the Ministry. 



(2) The number of farmers' samples received is still very low, 

 only 750 farmers having sent seed for test. In any county the 

 number of farmers utilising the Station appears to be in direct 

 proportion to the activity in this direction of the County 

 Organiser. 



(3) The quality of seeds tested was on the whole good. In 

 most cases the germination average is lower than that of the 

 previous season, but this was mainly due to the indifferent har- 

 vest conditions in 192^. There was a most marked improve- 

 ment, however, in the purity of clover and grass samples. 

 With the exception of meadow fescue, all clovers and grasses 

 showed increased purity figures. The following table, shows 

 the average yearly figures for all clovers and grasses scheduled 

 in the Testing of Seeds Order : — 



CHovers. Grasses. 

 Percentage Percentage Percentage Percentage 

 Purity. Germination. Purity. Germination. 



1917- 18 95-9 68-8 97-3 74-2 



1918- 19 957 78-8 97-8 82*1 



1919- 20 95-5 82-5 98-0 83-5 



1920- 21 96-6 80-6 98*1 8P9 



(4) Great trouble was again experienced with delayed germina- 

 tions of cereals due to incomplete after-ripening. It may be 

 added that the favourable harvest weather of 1921 has to a 

 great extent prevented a repetition of this difficulty during 

 the current season. 



(5) The improvement in the figures for the dodder content 

 of clovers reported last season is maintained. Nevertheless, 



