Seed-Testing Conference at Hamburg . 
265 
Works have been examined for purity and germination before 
the purchases were completed. The London County Council 
have obtained advice for the guidance of the Asylums Com- 
mittee in connection with the seeds required by them. The 
Croydon County Council have had guidance as to the treatment 
of weeds in their parks and recreation grounds, and also of 
diseased or unhealthy trees. The seeds intended to be sent 
to the Argentine Republic have been examined and certified 
as to the presence or absence of injurious weeds. 
The Consulting Botanist was unable to be present at the 
conference of experts in agricultural seed testing from the dif- 
ferent countries of Europe and from America, which was held 
at Hamburg in September. He, however, sent his Assistant, 
Mr. Giissow, to represent him, and to give information to 
the members of the conference as to the work done bv the 
%/ 
Royal Agricultural Society in this department of its operations. 
Mr. Giissow’s Report on his visit is appended. 
The Laboratory, 
44 Central Hill, Norwood, S.E. 
William Carruthers. 
INTERNATIONAL SEED-TESTING CONFERENCE AT 
HAMBURG, 1906. 
In recent years the practice of examining agricultural seeds 
for purity and germination has made considerable progress in 
nearly every country. In 1905, at the Vienna International 
Botanical Congress, it was suggested that a conference should 
be held of seed-testing experts, and the following year the 
Hamburg State Botanical Institution issued invitations to a 
conference, which took place at Hamburg from September 
10 to 14, 1906, and which was well attended by experts from 
different countries. The business of this conference was 
mainly to consider and arrive at some conclusions as to the 
best methods for the examination of seeds and to lay down 
uniform rules of general application. 
Dr. STEBLER, of Zurich, opened the proceedings by reading 
a paper on the methods of determining the country from 
which imported clover and grass seeds have been obtained. 
This is of the greatest importance, as it has been proved that 
seeds from some countries are not suitable for cultivation 
in other countries. Dr. Stebler stated that the determination 
depended almost entirely upon the presence of weed seeds in 
the uncleaned samples. He showed herbarium specimens and 
samples of weed seeds, which may be called “ characteristic 
seeds,” their presence indicating conclusively the country of 
origin of the seed under examination. 
