CHAPTER V. 

 WEED IMPURITIES IN AGRICULTURAL SEEDS 



A large number of weed seeds of different kinds occur 

 in various commercial seeds. These weed seeds vary, 

 depending on the character of the crop and locality where 

 the commercial seed was grown. The foreign material 

 in the seed is largely accidental. For instance, the Iowa- 

 grown clover seed contains pigeon grass, foxtail, smart- 

 weed and other weed seeds found in the Iowa clover 

 meadow. Clover seed grown in Missouri will have a 

 great deal of bracted plantain, while eastern-grown seed 

 has much buckhorn. Alfalfa seed grown in Utah is likely 

 to have dodder, black medic, etc. Minnesota-grown wheat 

 is sure to have corn cockle and vetch, while seed oats 

 from the same state may have quack grass. Mustard is 

 certain to occur in Iowa-grown oats. The fault is not 

 always with the seed merchant. The farmer demands 

 a cheap seed and in doing so is likely to buy seeds that 

 contain many weed seeds. It is always better to buy the 

 better quality of seed. I knew of a case where the 

 farmer was selling his neighbor red clover seed at $9 

 per bushel, when he could have bought good clover seed 

 for a little more. Thirty-four per cent of the seed con- 

 sisted of weed seeds and dirt. He was paying more for 

 this seed than the best seed on the market was selling 

 for. 



The only way to buy seed is on a guaranty. It is an 

 easy matter for the seed merchant to make a statement 

 that his seed contains a given per cent of purity and is 

 free from noxious weeds of a certain type. I believe most 

 seed merchants are beginning to realize the importance 

 of selling good seed. The matter of germination is so 



