SEED INSPECTION 



By F. A. McLaughlin and Margaret E. Naglei 



This bulletin gives the results of analysis of official seed samjjles, collected by 

 the State Department of Agriculture during the year 1933 from tlie open markets 

 in seventy-five towns and cities of Massachusetts, and analyzed at the Seed Testing 

 Laboratory of the Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station at Amherst. 

 Between October 1, 1932, and October 1, 1933, the Seed Laboratory analyzed 

 1 1M8 samples, of which 507 were collected by the State Department of Agriculture, 

 180 submitted by dealers and farmers, and 191 by the Rhode Island Department 

 of Agriculture; 266 were purchased from wholesalers for special tests; and the 

 remaining 44 were accounted for in germination tests of ingredients of grass seed 

 mixtures. 



This bulletin also contains results of field tests for trueness to type of 280 samples 

 of sweet corn, conducted by the Department of Vegetable Gardening, also notes 

 on the relation of seed-borne diseases observed in laboratory germination of sweet 

 com to emergence in the field. Type and variety tests of legumes, conducted by 

 the De]Kirtment of Agronomy are recorded. 



SUMMARY OF RESULTS 

 Alfalfa to Vetch 



The following table of analysis covering the 145 samples of seed in this group 

 shows that again, as in former years, the most common violation of the seed law 

 is the lack of certain required information on the label. This information was 

 lacking, wholly or in part, for 52 samples (35.86%). Other deficiencies shown are 

 ^^, or 22.80%, below in germination; 9, or 6.20%, with excessive weed seed; and 

 12, or 8.28%i, below in purity. In all, 84 samples (57.93% of this group) either did 

 not comply with the label requirements or were not uj) to guarantee, even when 

 proper tolerance allowances were made. 



Mixtures of Not More Than Two Lots of Seeds 



No .samples declared as such were taken by inspectors. Two samples, however, 

 sold for pure seed of a single kind, were found to be mixtures of two sorts of seed. 

 The table shows them otherwise deficient. 



Special Mixtures 



Thirty-eight samples were analyzed in this group. Twenty-one (52.63%,) lacked 

 the whole or part of the label. Eight samples (21.05%), though adequately labeled, 

 were found to contain excessive weeds or inert material, or both. Certain other 

 minor irregularities were found, but on the whole the quality of seed for this group 

 appears to be fair to excellent. 



Vegetable Seed 



A larger number of samples of vegetable seed were taken than formerly. Each 

 of the 320 samples tested met the label requirements of the law. On the whole the 

 quality of seed as shown by germination is above that of any previous collection 

 of official samples tested in this laboratory; yet 119, or 37% of the samples, show 

 germination below the standards required bj^ law in many states (Seed Control 

 Bulletin 56, 1930, page 4) and 55 of them (17%) are below Virginia state standards. 

 While averaging better than formerly in germination, the record shows much to 

 be desired in quality of many vegetable seeds sold in Massachusetts. One cause 



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



