SEED INSPECTION 65 



Acroclinium 1 Larkspur 2 



Ageratum 3 Lobelia 2 



Alyssum 2 Lupines 2 



China Asters 2 Marigolds 11 



Bachelor's Buttons 8 Morning Glories 5 



Brachycome 1 Nasturtiums :... 3 



Calendula 7 Pansies 1 



Candytuft 6 Petunia 4 



Carnations and Pinks 3 Poppies 3 



Cockscomb 2 Portulaca 2 



Coreopsis 2 Salvia 1 



Cosmos 2 Scabiosa 1 



Didiscus 1 Snapdragon 2 



Dimorphotheca 1 Sunflowers 1 



Eschscholtzia 1 Sweet Peas .' 3 



Forget-me-nots 2 Sweet Sultan 1 



Fouro'clocks 1 Verbena 2 



Kochia 1 Zinnias 12 



Total 104 



Most of the packets bore the common name of the flower, while a very few 

 seedsmen added both the scientific and common names. Some listed the color, 

 while others gave no indication as to what color might be expected, although 

 several were marked "mixed." It was noted that the better wholesalers gave 

 much of the desired information, stating the price as well as the approximate 

 germination, the scientific and common names, and some description of the 

 plant. 



The entire contents of each packet, or in the case of bulk lots the entire sample 

 drawn, were weighed and analyzed for purity. Wherever possible, the Weed 

 Seeds and Other Crop Seeds were identified and recorded. (See Table 1.) 



The amount of seed found in any one packet or lot varied from less than one 

 gram (.3 gr.) to 48.0 grams. The price varied from five cents a packet to as 

 high as twenty-five cents. There appeared to be little relation between the 

 price and the quantity of seed. With Marigold (Guinea Gold) for instance, 

 the quantity varied from .3 to 3.4 grams and the price ranged from ten to 

 twenty-five cents. One wholesaler offered .3 gram, while another offered ,8 

 gram of the same variety, both for ten cents a packet. 



Mechanical Purity 



In an effort to obtain definite information as to the extent to which flower 

 seeds, particularly those sold in sealed paper packets, carried impurities, a 

 careful examination was made of each lot. Purity results will be found in 

 Table 2. 



Of the 104 lots of flower seeds, three or 2.88% were free of any impurities 

 whatever. To state it in another way: 101 lots, or 97.12%, contained impuri- 

 ties in the form of Weed Seeds, Other Crop Seeds, seeds of plants other than 

 the one in question, or Inert Materials consisting of fine chaff, dust, stems, 

 floral parts, grit, or pieces of earth. 



The purity percentage was found to vary from 81.70 in the case of Ageratum 

 to 100.00 in the case of some of the Morning Glories and Sweet Peas. 



