SEED INSPECTION 25 



STUDIES OF FLOWER SEEDS 

 Section 261 G 



The year 1959 makes the twenty-fourth year of field testinj; by the Seed Labora- 

 tory : Field testing is the only sure way to determine the quality of flower seed offered 

 for sale to residents of Massachusetts through various local and mail-order outlets. 

 A total of 304 seed lots, representing seven genera and various mixtures of annuals 

 ]>acketed by 23 wholesalers or distributors, were obtained from 75 retailers or grower 

 sources by the State Seed Inspectors. All except the mixtures were subjected to 

 gi-rmination tests in the Laboratory before field testing. 



The seven genera included in the 1959 tests gave a complete and thorough 

 picture of the quality of seed within these genera. The genera and number of 

 ench field tested were 30 Antirrhinum. 35 Dianthus, 16 Gaillardin, 136 Tageles, 

 36 Tropaeolum, 24 Salvia, and 30 Verbena. In addition to these seven genera which 

 were field tested, similar plantings were made of seven annual flower seed mixtures 

 offered by some of our wholesale seedsmen. 



All the flower seeds were planted on May 26th and 27th. Seeds were sown in 

 10-foot rows and the rows were three feet apart. In all cases one packet of seed 

 was sufficient to plant one row. The results listed in Table 4 include only those 

 samples considered "worthless for sale", or those with satisfactory laboratory tests 

 but found unsatisfactory in the field for other reasons. A sample was considered 

 "worthless for sale" if it germinated 50 per cent or less than the tentative germina- 

 tion "standard" for flower seed. The tentative "standards" for the respective genera 

 included in the field trials are as follows: Antirrhinum 55%; Dianthus 70% » 

 Gaillardia 45%; Tagetes 65%; Tropaeolum 60%; Salvia 50% and Verbena 40%. 

 On the basis of the laboratory tests, 0.6% of the total of 296 lots were "worthless 

 for sale" and 12.8% were below the tentative "standards". This is an improve- 

 ment over the 1958 seed, when 4% of the total of 373 lots were "worthless for 

 sale" and 28.9% were below the tentative "standards." 



The following table gives a breakdown of the laboratory germination tests of 

 the seven eenera tested. 



Table 4 lists those samples that were found in the field tests to differ in per- 

 formance from the information stated on the seed packet, plus those samples that 

 germinated 50% or less than the tentative "standards." Also included are obser- 

 vations made on the annual flower mixture packets. 



The observations on the annual flower mixture packets should not be con- 

 strued to mean unsatisfactory in anv respect, but should be taken merely as ob- 

 servations on findings. 



