SEED INSPECTION 



By F. A. McLaughlin and Margaret E. Nagle^ 



This bulletin contains the results of the inspection of agricultural seeds 

 from October 1, 1931 to October 1, 1932. The Seed Laboratory analyzed 

 1,516 samples of seed, 463 of which are termed official samples and were 

 collected by inspectors of the State Department of Agriculture in 59 towns 

 of the State, 36 of which had not been included in previous inspections. Of 

 the remaining samples, 304 came from dealers and farmers; 194 were received 

 from the Rhode Island Department of Agriculture; 354 were purchased from 

 wholesalers for field tests; and 201, ingredients of lawn seed, were germinated 

 to determine viability of such seed in mixtures. 



Field tests to determine trueness to type were again conducted in cooperation 

 with the Department of Agronomy which tested 11 samples of alfalfa, 23 

 samples of red clover, and 3 samples of sweet clover; and the Department of 

 Vegetable Gardening which tested 339 samples of sweet corn and 115 samples 

 of peas. 



Summary of Results 



In the following tables which record laboratory analyses of official samples 

 of seed together with copies of the label under which the seeds were sold, it 

 will be observed that the most common violation is the lack of certain 

 information required by law. 



Alfalfa to Vetch 



In the first table, including seeds from Alfalfa to Vetch, the analyses of 161 

 samples are recorded. Only 44 of these were wholly and correctly labeled. 

 In other words, only 27 per cent of the seed in this group of samples was 

 legally offered for sale. Of the remaining 117 samples, 95 failed to state the 

 percentage of purity, percentage by weight of weed seed, percentage of 

 germination, date of germination, or all four. 



In 47 samples the purity was found less than the tolerance allowance, 

 germination less than tolerance allowance, or the weed seed greater than 

 tolerance allowance. Three samples of South German Mixed Bent were sold 

 under the name of Creeping Bent, an old trade name which is no longer allow- 

 able because it is misleading, implying that the seed thus named is pure 

 creeping bent. Sample A-82, which was labeled Spring Barley, was found to 

 be Rye. 



In most instances the absence of information on the sales label of seed was 

 found to be due to carelessness on the part of the retailer who had destroyed 

 or lost the tag attached by the wholesaler. For the most part, the wholesaler 

 should be absolved from blame in this particular. 

 Mixtures of Not More Than Two Sorts of Seed 



No samples declared as such were taken by inspectors. Three samples 

 declared under the previous section as single seed were, however, found to be 

 mixtures as defined by law. Analysis showed them not only illegally declared 

 in this respect, but otherwise deficient. 



Special Mixtures 



The laboratory analyzed 41 samples of lawn and pasture mixtures. The 

 tables show that only 15 of these were legally offered for sale. Of the remain- 

 ing 26 samples, 8 failed to name ingredients at all and 6 failed to designate 

 the variety, as for instance "Ryegrass" for "Domestic Ryegrass." Samples 

 C-18 and C-23 were found to be entirely different mixtures than indicated. 

 Correspondence with the wholesaler in each instance indicates that the retailer 

 mixed his labels. C-40 failed to declare noxious weeds. Only 5 samples were 

 found to have excessive weed seed, and 8 excessive inert material. In this 



1 Miss Jessie L. Anderson served as seed analyst for a period of three months. 



