The St. Charles Herald

INFERIOR SEED MAY
CAUSE CROP FAILURE
OFTEN CONTAIN
OBNOXIOUS
WEED SEED THAT CAUSE PERMANENT
INJURY TO FARM.
SEED WILL BE TESTED FREE
There Is No Necessity For the Louisiana
Farmer To Plant Seed of
Unknown Value.
One of the essential features of
profitable crop production is the use
of good seed. The farmer of Louisiana
has often suffered inadequate
returns and, no doubt, in some instances complete crop failure owing
to the use of seed of inferior quality.
Not only that, farm seed often contains obnoxious weed seeds which, if
sown, will require time and money
to eradicate. These resulting weeds
may in some cases effect a permanent
injury to the farm.
There is no necessity for the Louisiana
farmer to plant seed of unknown
value. A seed testing laboratory is
maintained at the Experiment Station
of the Louisiana State University
for the purpose of furnishing information to farmers and woodsmen
as the quality of commercial agricultural seeds. It enables the prospective
buyer to obtain samples of seed
from the seedsmen or grower and
have them tested before purchasing.
The seed laboratory is in charge of
an expert seed analyst and is well
equipped for rapid and accurate tests
as to purity and germination. A purity
test can be made and the report
returned almost immediately. A germination test requires five days or
longer, depending upon the kind of
seed tested.
To secure a sample,
three or four pounds
of clover or
grass seed or ten or twelve tablespoonfuls
of larger seeds. The sample
must represent accurately the
bulk from which it is taken. To obtain a representative sample, handfuls
of seed should be taken at random
from the top, middle and bottom of
the sack and, after thoroughly mixing
these handfuls, take the samples for
testing.
Send the samples to the Seed Laboratory, Experiment Station, Louisiana
State University, Baton Rouge.
No charge is made for the tests.