SEED INSPECTION 67 





Forget-me-not 1 Stocks 1 



Four O'Clocks 1 Sunflower 2 



Foxglove 1 Sweet Peas 6 



Gaillardia 1 Sweet William 2 



Hollyhocks 2 Verbena 1 



Larkspur 1 Wall Flower 1 



Lobelia 1 Wonder Packet 1 



Lunaria 1 Zinnia 10 



Total 103 



Most of the packets bore the common name of the flower, while a 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" as implied by the following quoted terminology printed on the 

 packets: Mixed, Finest Mixed, All Colors, All Shades, Mixed Colors, Finest 

 Colors, and Finest Mixed Colors. 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 together with cultural directions, and the advised dates of sowing. 



The entire contents of each packet was weighed and analyzed for purity. 



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

 gram (.043 gr.) to 12.773 grams. Several seedsmen failed to state retail prices 

 on packets. In most instances price per packet correlated with the amount of 

 seed contained, taking into consideration the wholesale prices of seed, improved 

 strains usually selling at higher prices than standard varieties and strains which 

 have been on the market for several years. 



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 care- 

 ful examination was made of each lot. Purity results will be found in the table. 



Of the 103 lots of flower seeds, ten or 9.70% were free of any impurities what- 

 ever. To state it in another way, 93 lots or 90.30%, contained impurities 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 82.65 in the case of one Marigold 

 to 100.00 in the cases of two Cosmos, one Four O'Clock, two Morning Glories, 

 one Sunflower, and four Sweet Peas. 



Weed Seeds 



Weed seeds were found in 31 of the lots, or 30.09%. One packet of African 

 Marigold contained .71% weed seeds, while a packet of Pimpernel contained 

 1.60%. These, however, are extreme cases, some packets only containing a very 

 small percentage of weed seeds. 



Inert Matter 



Of the 103 lots, a total of 93, or 90.30%, contained Inert Matter of one kind 

 or another. Two packets of African Marigold carried the highest percentage, 



