34 CONTROL SERIES NO. 175 



STUDIES OF FLOWER SEEDS 



Section 261 H 



Conducted by the Seed Laboratory* 



1957 marks the twenty-second year that field studies have been made by the Seed 

 Laboratory to determine the quality of flower seed offered for sale in various retail 

 outlets and to flower growers throughout the State. Seed of 383 lots, representing 

 6 genera packeted by 28 wholesalers or distributors, were obtained from 72 retailers 

 or grower sources by the State Seed Inspectors. All samples were given germination 

 tests in the laboratory. Six samples received too late were not grown in the field 

 trials and one sample not grown in the field but laboratory tested was a biennial. 



This year marks the first major change in the flower field studies. Only six genera 

 were tested in the field instead of the 50 to 60 as has been done in the past. It is 

 felt that by so doing a complete and thorough inspection can be made on the six 

 genera tested. The number of lots in the trials were relatively the same. The six 

 genera selected for field studv were Alyssum, Aster, Calendula, Marigold, Petunia, 

 and Zinnia. 



All the flowers were planted May 23rd and 24th. Seeds were sown in 10-foot 

 sections in the row and rows were three feet apart. In all cases one packet of seed 

 was sufficient to plant the desired section. All lots were given germination tests in 

 the laboratory and the laboratory tests are listed for those lots found unsatisfac- 

 tory in the field. A heavy rain immediately following the planting caused severe 

 packing of the soil and in some instances with the smaller seeded types a poor stand 

 of plants resulted. The weather throughout the remainder of the growing season 

 was fine. 



The following table lists those sample? that were found to differ in the field from 

 that stated on the seed packet. 



* Waldo C. Lincoln, Jr., Research Instructor 

 Kenneth Pelton, Laboratory .\ssistant 



