COMPULSORY SEED-TESTING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3333, 30 January 1918, Page 8

COMPULSORY SEED-TESTING.

A Government seed-testing station has been opened in London at last. Ireland has had her station for some 16 years, and Scotland for eight years; but it has taken three years of war to convince the English authorities. Now that they have come to the conclusion that it will benefit agriculture, they have gone the "whole hog" and made seed-testing compulsory. The seed-testing station was formally opened in November last by Mr Prothero, who, in the course of his remarks, emphasised the importance of maintaining the purity of the seeds used by farmers. During the war a great deal of inferior seed seems to have "been marketed, affecting, of course, unfavourably our food supplies just when the need of increased production from the land is so vital and urgent. The object of establishing the station is to secure to the farmer the seed he believes to be pure and' of good quality so far as germinative power was concerned, and protection against the souring of seeds of weeds that would foul his land, and of parasites that would destroy his standing crops. The business of the station was to test and control the supplies of seeds, and after prolonged conferences with seed experts, agricultural colleges, and the assistance of the seed-dealers throughout the country, a scheme has been evolved which promises to be of the utmost value at the present time, and still more so in the future. The station is equipped to deal with 2000 samples simultaneously, and the kinds of seed the seedsmen are invited to send include the following:—Wheat, barley, oats, and rye; perennial and Italian ryegrasses; cocksfoot, meadow fescue, timothy, and crested dog's tail; red, alsike, crimson, and white clovers; trefoil, lucerne, and sainfoin; tares or

vetchss; peas, beans, mangolds, swedes, turnips, cabbage, kale, and rape; parsnip, onion, carrot, and beet. In the taking of samples it is, of course, necessary to proceed with the greatest of care. For instance, of seeds stored in quantities of one sack or under portions would be drawn from the v top, middle, and bottom of the bag and Avell mixed. When more than one sack is in hand portions should be taken from each sack by a sampling instrument and thoroughly mixed. Where storage is in bins or in heaps samples should be taken from representative portions to represent the bulk. The particulars required to be declared by seedsmen, farmers, and growers on and after January 1, 1918, are as follow :—(a) The name and address of the seller, (b) The kind of seeds sold or exposed for sale, and in the case of cereals, clovers, and sainfoin, the variety of seeds, (c) In the case of sainfoin, lucerne, clovers, cocksfoot, timothy, and meadow fescue seed the country of origin (England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland being for this purpose treated as different countries), or if the country of origin is not known to the seller a statement to that effect, (d) In the case of mixtures of grasses or _of clovers, or of grasses and clovers, which may be sold or exposed for sale for agricultural purposes, the particulars required by paragraphs (b) and (c) shall be given in respect of each kind of grass or clover seed in the mixture, and the proportion by weight of each kind shall also be given. In the case of a sale or exposure for sale of seeds other than cereals, the required declaration shall include the following additional particulars: —(a) The percentage by weight of pure seed, subject to the scale of latitude set out elsewhere, (b) In- the case of clovers, lucerne, and timothy whether dodder is present. (c) The total percentage by weight of injurious weed seeds present where such total exceeds 1 per cent. For the purposes of this order none but dock (Rumex conglomeratus muir., .R. obtusifolius 1., R. crispus 1.), sheep's sorrel (R. acetosella 1.), wild carrot (Daucus carota 1.), Yorkshire fog (Holcus lanatus 1.), soft brome grass (Bromus mollis 1.), "sucking clovers dubium sißth., T. procumbens 1., and also T. parviflorium -ehrh. and T. angulation waldst.) is regarded as an injurious weed seed. (d) In the case of sainfoin, where more than 5 per cent, by weight of burnet (Poterium sanguisorba) is present in the sample, the percentage must be stated. (e) The percentage _of seeds by number of the kind of Avhich the sample purports to consist capable of germination, as ascertained by a germination test, (f) In the case of sainfoin, lucerne, trefoil, and clovers the percentage by number of hard seeds, (g) Month and year in which the germination test was made. *