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Show New Seed Verification Verifi-cation Regulations Announced Modilications in the regulations covering the Seed Verification Service Ser-vice designed to Improve further the conditions under which alfalfa and red-clover seed for sale to farmers and others are verified as to origin, were announced today by A. G. Black, chief, Bureau of Agricultural Economics. The new regulations provide that tags verifying the origin of alfalfa and red-clover seed cannot be attached at-tached to lots of seed for sale unless un-less the seed meets specified minimum mini-mum standards of germination, purity pur-ity and noxious weed seed content. The regulations also require that analysis an-alysis tags be attached to all shipments ship-ments of alfalfa and red-clover seed in all cases where the Bureau authorizes au-thorizes the use of an official tag varifying the origin of the seed. The regulations also limit government verification of origin to domestically domesti-cally grown seeds. Doctor Black explained that, under un-der the new regulations, every bag of alfalfa and red,-clover seed bearing bear-ing a tag verified-origin-seed-certi-fieate must also bear an analysis tag showing the seed to contain not more than 1 per cent weed seed, purity, of 98 per cent or better with a tolerance of 2 per cent of other crop seeds, and a minimum of 65 per cent of live, pure seed. The quantity of noxious weed seeds must be no more than is allowed under the laws of the state into which the seed is shipped. For many years origin has been recognized as an important factor in the adaptability of certain seeds to Uie area where grown. In order to give the fanner authenic information infor-mation as to the origin of alfalfa and red-clover seed bought by them the Bureau established. . the Seed Verification Service 10 years ago. Under this service over 90 of the principal field seed dealers of the United States are now cooperating with the department in keeping records rec-ords and stocks of alfalfa a nd red-clover red-clover seed in accordance with the rules, regulations, and instructions of the secretary of agriculture and the chief of the bureau. These axe submitted to inspection and supervision super-vision by official inspectors. During these 10 years more than 400,000,000 pounds of alfalfa and red-clover seed have been verified as to origin. The alfalfa seed verified in recent years in Uie Northern and Central States represents more than 85 per cent of their commercial production. pro-duction. o |
