166 Report of the Department of Botany of the 



discussion of the results of the inspection and its signifi- 

 cance to new york farmers. 



The number of official samples collected during the first six 

 months in which the law was in force is not large enough to 

 j)ermit of very definite conclusions ; however, it is important to 

 know that slightly over 20 per ct. of the samples analyzed did not 

 meet the requirements of the law, that is, they contained over 3 

 per ct. of foreign seeds by count and were not so labeled. White 

 clover, winter vetch, alsike clover, orchard grass, Canadian blue 

 grass and red clover in the order named were the most frequent 

 violators. 



While it is not within the province of the Station to decide 

 upon any moral or legal phase of the seed law, it seems advisable 

 to point out that the present seed law simply requires that agricul- 

 tural seeds shall not contain over 3 per ct. foul or foreign seed by 

 count, unless the per centum of such foul or foreign seed is 

 plainly marked or labeled on the container. Every farmer 

 should know that an allowance of 3 per ct. impurity by 

 count affords ample opportunity for the introduction of a 

 large number of noxious weeds upon the farm. If alfalfa or 

 clover seed were sown at the rate of ten pounds of seed per acre, 

 the 3 per ct. impurity by count would permit the introduction 

 of approximately 62,566 weed seeds per acre, or about one and 

 one-half seeds per square foot. In the case of dodder such an 

 introduction would be a serious one. It is therefore evident that 

 the purchaser must rely upon his own ability to judge of the 

 quality of the seed, since the law does not designate or require a 

 reasonable freedom from dodder seed, or a certain freedom from 

 inert matter, and consequently affords only a partial protection. 



II. ANALYSES OF SEED SAMPLES RECEIVED FROM 



CORRESPONDENTS. 



INTRODUCTION. 



It is the primary purpose to present, in Part II of this Bulletin, 

 the results of seed tests made upon samples of seed that have 



