1909.] 



Sale of Seeds in Germany. 



185 



are regarded as complying with the conditions when the test 

 shows that they are free from dodder and agree with the 

 guarantee within the following limits : — 



For Furity. 



2 per cent, for seeds with a purity of 90 per cent, and above. 



3 ,, less than 90 per cent. 



For Germination. 

 4-2 per cent, with a guaranteed germination of 95 — 99*9 per cent. 



57 „ 90-94*9 



68 „ „ „ 85-89-9 „ 



77 » ,, 80—84-9 



8'3 „ „ „ „ 75—79-9 



88 „ „ „ 70—74-9 



9-1 ,> „ „ 65—69-9 



9-4 „ ■ „ 60-64-9 



9'5 ,> 55—59*9 



9'6 „ „ 50-54-9 



It will be seen from the above account that the action of 

 the Seed Bureau in no way resembles that of co-operative 

 societies who purchase seed for resale to their members. It 

 goes much further than this by acting, on the one hand, as 

 a medium for the sale of seeds grown by its members, and 

 thus assisting them to dispose of their produce ; and, on the 

 other, by providing for its purchasing members the means of 

 obtaining seed under the best conditions as regards genuine- 

 ness, purity, and good quality. 



The Monthly Seed List forms an advertising medium for 

 three distinct grades of seeds, viz. :• — (1) Pedigree seed offered 

 by the original breeders, with the additional guarantees that 

 the particular variety has been proved by independent tests 

 to the satisfaction of the Society to have an agricultural value, 

 and also that the actual crop from which the seed was ob- 

 tained has been inspected and passed by expert representa- 

 tives of the Society; (2) seed, which may be pedigree seed, 

 though not grown by the original breeders, that has been 

 inspected when growing on the farm, and "recognised" in 

 the same way by experts as true to name, sufficiently free from 

 disease such as rust and smut, of good general quality, and 

 otherwise satisfactory; seed from prize farms is shown 

 separately; (3) seed from uninspected farms which is sold 

 merely on a satisfactory test of the sample forwarded. This 

 applies chiefly to grass seeds and potatoes. 



In addition to these provisions, the Society bears the cost of 

 an examination of a sample of the seed delivered, while the 



