This handbook is made up of 190 pages, 28 photographs, 30 illustrations and 14 tables.
 
Although it covers mostly those seeds moving in international trade, it will provide a starting point for persons with little or no experience who want to begin testing tree and shrub seeds. For the serious analyst, it must be stressed that this handbook does not replace the International Rules, but is meant to be used in conjunction with these and the Handbook on Seedling Evaluation.

 
In order to make this handbook as comprehensive as possible, chapters on X-radiography and the Indigo Carmine method were included.