236 



Seed-Testing Stations Abroad. 



In Belgium, seed-testing is undertaken at the nine State 

 agricultural experiment statons. 



In France, where seed-testing has cipparently not made 

 much progress among farmers, there is only one station, at 

 Paris, which is attached to the Institut Agronomique, and is 

 supported by the State. In 1897-98, thirteen firms were 

 reported to be under the l< control " of the Paris station, but 

 the director states that although the customers of these firms 

 are entitled to gratuitous tests .of the seeds purchased by 

 them, they seldom exercise the privilege. 



In Denmark, there is one important station at Copen- 

 hagen, which is supported and managed by the State. 



The Swedish seed control stations, which number eighteen, 

 are usually attached to the agricultural experiment stations. 

 They are, however, supported by special grants from the 

 State and from societies (and, in three cases, from provincial 

 funds), and work under the direction of the State Agricul- 

 tural Department. 



In Norway, there are threa stations, two of which art: 

 attached to the State chemical control stations at Christiania 

 and Trondhjem. The State grants for seed control work 

 amount in all to £120, and in two cases the grant is made 

 contingent on local support. 



The Scandinavian stations adopted uniform methods for 

 seed-testing in 1890 in accordance with rules drawn up by a 

 committee appointed by the Governments of Denmark, 

 Sweden, and Norway. 



In Finland there are seed control stations in connection 

 with the chemical experiment stations at Abo and Hel- 

 singfors. 



In Switzerland there is an important station at Zurich and 

 another at Lausanne ; both are partly supported by the State. 



Seed-control work has not yet been established on a large 

 scale in the United States, although many of the agricul- 

 tural experiment stations have been engaged in seed investi- 

 gation for a number of years. Regulations tor seed-testing 

 were drawn up by a committee of the Association 01 

 American Colleges and Experiment Stations in January, 

 1807, and were published by the United States Department 



