SEED INSPECTION 



29 



STUDIES OF FLOWER SEEDS 



Section 261 H 



Conducted by the Seed Laboratory* 



In 1956, flower seed studies were again made by the Seed Laboratory. This 

 makes the twenty-first year such field studies have been made to determine the 

 quality of flower seed ofi'ered for sale in various retail outlets and to flower growers 

 throughout the State. Seed of 375 lots, representing 57 genera packeted by 25 

 wholesalers or distributors, were obtained from 72 retailers or grower sources by 

 the State Seed Inspectors. All samples, except two of Statice, were given germina- 

 tion tests in the laboratory, and all lots, except 23, were given trueness-to-type 

 tests in the field. Of the 23 lots not tested in the field 6 were biennials, 1 Lathyrus, 

 2 Ipomea, 1 Helianthus, 11 Delphinium and 2 Lupinus. 



Ageratum 8 



Alyssum 19 



Amaranthus 2 



Anchusa 1 



Antirrhinum 9 



Calendula 10 



Caliopsis 5 



Callistephus 26 



Celosia 6 



Centaurea Cyanus, ... I.'? 

 Centaurea Imperalis. . .1 



Cheiranthus 1 



Chrysanthemum 2 



Clarkia 2 



Cleome 3 



Cosmos 17 



Cynoglossum 1 



Dahlia 6 



Dianthus 7 



Dimorphotheca 2 



Eschscholtzia 4 



Euphorbia 1 



Gallardia 2 



Godetia 3 



Gypsophila 4 



Helianthus 1 



Helich-ysum 7 



Iberis 6 



Impatiens 5 



Linaria 2 



Linum 3 



Mathiola 3 



Mirabilis 2 



Molucella 1 



All the flowers were planted lune 7. Seeds were sown in 10-foot sections in the 

 row and in all instances, one packet of seed was sufficient to plant the desired sedtion. 

 Germination tests were made in the laboratory for all samples of seed except two 

 lots of Statice. The results of the germination tests are listed in Table 5 for samples 

 found unsatisfactory in the field. 



The weather during the field trials was good. No severe storms occurred during 

 the critical germination period which allowed for optimum conditions for germina- 

 tion, and the cool summer provided ideal growing weather for most of the flowers. 



The labelling found on the flower seed packets sold throughout the State was excel- 

 lent. Several mixtures were found to be poor but were better in general than those 

 of other years. It is not the policy of the laboratory to make a rating on any of the 

 field test work, but rather to check on the labelling as stated on the packet in com- 

 parison with the actual field performance. 



The following table Hsts those samples that were found in the field test and that 

 differed in performance from that stated on the seed packet. 



* Waldo C. Lincoln. Jr., Research Instructor 

 Paul Karpita, Laboratory Assistant 



