SEED TESTS MADE AT THE STATION DURING 



1912.* 



M. T. MUNN. 

 SUMMARY. 



In Part I of this Bulletin will be found, (i) a reprint of the 

 law governing the inspection and sale of seeds, (2) a brief 

 statement of the method employed in finding the percentages 

 of impurity of the samples analyzed, (3) a table showing the 

 percentage composition of about 125 samples collected, under the 

 law, after July 1, 1912, (4) results of some studies on the re- 

 lationship between " weight " and " count " standards of purity, 

 and (5) comments on the results of the inspection and the bearing 

 of the law on agricultural interests. 



Of the samples examined officially, about 20 per ct. contained 

 greater percentages of impurities than the law allows without 

 specific labeling. 



Part II contains a brief report upon the seed trade conditions 

 in this State, as revealed by the examination of 11 40 samples 

 of seed received from correspondents during the calendar year 

 igi2, consisting of 621 samples of alfalfa, 170 of red clover, 150 

 of timothy, 96 of alsike clover, and 47 miscellaneous samples. 



Thirteen samples of alfalfa seed had been adulterated, sand, 

 crushed rock, broken seed, inert matter and yellow trefoil seed 

 being the adulterants used. Eighty-six per ct. of the samples of 

 hairy vetch had been adulterated with the seed of other vetches, 

 notably spring vetch. 



Thirteen per ct. of the alfalfa samples, and nineteen per ct. 

 of the red clover samples contained dodder seed, and the experi- 

 ence of farmers with this pest during the past season calls for a 

 note of warning to prospective buyers. 



Many of the samples were too small for a dependable analysis. 

 Small packets of seed distributed by some seed dealers as repre- 

 sentative advertising samples were found not to be fully repre- 

 sentative. The long list of foul and foreign seeds appears 

 to be steadily increasing, mainly by the additional occurrence 

 of new weeds. The most common impurities were plantain 



* Reprint of Bulletin No. 362, February, 1913; for Popular Edition, see 

 p. 741. 



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