How to Tell Good Seed 



Although all buyers cannot be experts in detennining seed quality they 

 can easily learn enoiigh to make intelligent purchases. In buying seed 

 one should consider germination, date of germination test, purity (in- 

 cluding noxious weed seed content), seed source, and age of seed and 

 should inspect seed for color and soundness. When purchase is by mail 

 small representative saii5)les of the seed in question can be secured for 

 inspection and testing. Reputable seed dealers can be relied upon to 

 furnish reliable information. 



Bright color and clean appearance indicate good seed. Seed which is 

 dirty, moldy, discolored, or musty either in odor or appearance should 

 be avoided as it usually indicates that it is old or diseased, has been 

 badly stored or was harvested under very unfavorable conditions. Poorly 

 filled seed coats and shrunken or shriveled seed should be avoided* Seed 

 coats should be tested with a knife, or pinched between the teeth or the 

 fingernails to make sure that they are well-filled. 



If germination is not knoim it can be tested by most State Seed Labora- 

 tories or the buyer can very easily test a sample himself. Count out 

 four samples of 100 seeds each and place them without crowding between 

 clean moist cloth or several thicknesses of paper towels in a covered 

 dish* Since some seed requires light for germination, the cover should 

 be a glass sheet or dish. The dish may be placed in a north window in 

 the house where it is subject to indirect light and to ordinary room 

 teo^erature* Overheating or direct sunlight should be avoided in germi- 

 nation tests. The cloth or blotters should be kept moist but the seed 

 should not be allowed to stand in water. At the end of 4 to 7 clays 

 (depending upon the species) all normal geminated plants should be re- 

 moved and counted. Counting should be done about twice a week until 

 the seeds have stopped germinating. Gremination may continue for three 

 to four weeks. The total count from the four samples of 100 seeds each 

 may be averaged for final germination. If great difference occurs among 

 the four it would be well to run the test again. 



Purity can be determined accurately only in a laboratory such as the 

 State Seed Laboratory but the buyer can examine the sample for the pres- 

 ence of weed seeds, broken seed, beards, hulls, straw, chaff, dirt, and 

 other foreign material. Such materials not only affect the cost per 

 pound of pure, live seed, but may prevent the seed from feeding readily 

 through a drill. Attention shoxild be given to noxious or poisonous weed 

 seed although these problems are not generally as serious in grass seed 

 as in other crop seeds. Broken seeds, chaff, dirt, or inert material 

 is merely waste but if weed seed is present it may start a noxious weed 

 infestation. The kind of weed seed present is more ic^jortant than the 

 quantity. 



