Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1910-12-23
ANY LIFE IN THE SEED?
Here's a Simple Way to Answer
That Important Problem


of seed, such as alfalfa, meadow
fescue, brOmegrass, cane or kaf-
fir-com:
Lay a piece of blotting paper
upon an ordinary dinner plate; on
this count out 100 seeds from the
sample to be tested, and cover
with another piece of blotting pa
per and a second plate. Be sure
that the blOtters are always kept
moist, but not too wet. Keep
this apparatus moderately warm
about 10 degreeS-and count and
remove every day the seeds that
have SprOuted. Six to eight days
will be enough to determine the
value OF the sample.
Some alfalfa growers and some
dealers In the seed believe that
brown or black seed in a sam
pie does not hurt if for sowing.
They say, "Such seed does not
sell as well as the bright, but it
Will sprOut just as well and will
make just as good a crop"
Now, there are very good reas-
onS for believing that the latter
part of this assertion is not true.
Experiments conducted at the Ag-
rlcultural College have shown the
black and brown seeds in alfalfa
either will not SprOut at all or
that only a small proportion will
sproIt. Twelve samples of alfal-
ia, only one Of which could be
CONSIDERED POOR, were found 10
contain 26 per cent of dark col
O1d seeds, or about - pounds to
the buShel. From these samples
100 dark cOlOred seeds were test
ID for termination. The average
Of the Y tests was SO per cent.
This means that if a sample
Contains ID pounds of brown and
black seed TO a buShel, about 10
pounds in every bushel is entire
ly worthless. At - cents a pound
this is $50; an amount which
should be deducted from the sell
ing price of the seed. 1t should
be clearly understood that of the
Y samples tested only one would
have been considered really poor
by anyone not thoroughly famil-
lar with alfalfa seed; and anoth-
er had been marked "fancy" by
Il seed dealer.
Nor B that all. Further tests
have shown that termination in
soil under the aost favorable con.
ditiOnS Of lleat and moisture is
alway" much lower than in any
sort of germ mating apparatus,
where blOtters, square of flannel
cloth or clay dish,s are used.
Seventy-thr'e samples tested in
clay terminating dishes gave an
average of II per cent; average
m:sOil 81 per cent, No elaborate
argument is needed to prove by
these figures that even the best
alfalfa seed will not be too good.
and that it pays to Use onlythe
best.
The objection may be made
here that If is a very simple mat
ter to SOW seed extra heavy, if
i looks to be of poor quality, and
trust to quantity to bring up the
stand. The answer to this is that
rOOr seed is always unreliable.
and there is no practical way of
of determining in the field, with
the seed ready to be sOwn, lust
how much should be added to
make up for poor quality. The
man sowing ten acres may think
he can afford to use screenings
at s. per bushel, but the large
grower, of long experience, know
that the best seed at so to $1l
a bushel IS always the cheaper.
The dark colOred seed gets If,
dark color from one or both Of
two principal causes. First. rainy
weather at time of harvesting. o.
second, heating in the stack. Eth
u of these will kill the germ anc
turn the seed dark.
What has been said of alfalf;
seed is true of the clovers, an,
except as regards color, is true o
grass seed, cane and kiffir corn
etc. This, however is to be re
membered. Alfalfa and Glove
seed often are good for two o
three years, though old seed ney
Il L Al