PURITY OF FARM SEEDS IN 1913 * 



F. H. HALL. 



The seed inspection law of New York State is secur- 



Adulte ration ing some of the good results expected from it. 



of seeds Only 17| per ct. of the samples collected in 1913 



decreasing, failed to reach the standard set by the law, 



while in 1912 almost 21 per ct. were in violation 



of its provisions. 



The mixed grass seeds, such as the lawn mixtures, were poorest 

 in quality, as three of the six samples, or 50 per ct., were in violation 

 of the law. One of these samples contained only 37 per ct. of pure 

 seed and another less than 50 per ct. Those who wish to use mixtures 

 of different grasses will find it much safer and more economical to 

 buy the seeds of the several kinds desired and mix them at home. 

 Almost as large a percentage of alsike clover samples as of lawn 

 grass were in violation of the law, 44 per ct. of the 34 samples; but 

 the quality of the seed was very much better, since only one sample 

 showed less than 75 per ct. of pure seed, one other less than 80 per 

 ct. and eight others less than 90 per ct. Red clover was somewhat 

 better than alsike, with 25 violations out of 85 samples, or about 

 30 per ct., of which only one sample contained less than 85 per ct. 

 of pure seed, and three others less than 90 per ct. Redtop was 

 not as good as it should be, showing 17 per ct. of violations, with 

 one sample containing less than 65 per ct. of pure seed, one 75 per 

 ct., and nine others less than 90 per ct. White clover was still better, 

 with one violation only out of eight samples, and this contained more 

 than 90 per ct. of good seed. The one violation among the nine 

 samples of blue grass contained almost 90 per ct. of good seed, but 

 one other sample, not a violation of the law since it contained only 

 small quantities of other seeds, was so mixed with rubbish that it 

 showed less than 75 per ct. of good seed, two samples only 80 per ct., 

 and none of the remaining five samples was over 91 per ct. The 

 examination of timothy seed brought to light only one violation in 

 86 samples, with 95 per ct. of pure seed; and practically all the 

 other samples showed 97, 98, even 99 per ct., or better, of good 

 timothy. 



* Reprint of Popular Edition of Bulletin No. 378; for Bulletin see p. 090. 



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