SEED INSPECTION 



By F. A. McLaughlin* 



CONTENTS 



Page 



The Massachusetts Seed Law. as amended in 1938 3 



Massachusetts Vegetable Seed Standards for 1939 7 



Definition of "approximate" 7 



1938 Official inspection of agricultural seeds 10 



Results of field tests for trueness to type: 



Oats 72 



Vegetable seeds 74 



Flower seeds 81 



Quality of onion seed produced in the Connecticut Valley in 1937 . . . 102 



Cleaning tobacco seed 102 



SEED LAW OF MASSACHUSETTS 



The Massachusetts Seed Law, originally enacted in 1027 and last amended 

 in 1938, is here given in its present form. Although in effect in 1938, it will 

 not be enforced until January 1, 1939, thereby giving sufficient time for seeds- 

 men to become familiar with new provisions of the 1938 amendment and to 

 comply with required procedure. 



Daniel J. Curran, Agriculturist 

 State Department of Agriculture 



Chapter 94 As Amended by Chapter 288 of the Acts of 1937 

 and Chapter 363 of the Acts of 1938 



SECTION 1. "Agricultural seeds" or "agricultural seed" in sections two 

 hundred and sixty-one A to two hundred and sixty-one L, inclusive, the seeds 

 of Canada Blue grass, Kentucky Blue grass, Brome grass, fescues, millets, tall 

 meadow oat grass, orchard grass, red top, Bent grasses, Italian rye grass, peren- 

 nial rye grass, kaffir corn, sorghum, Sudan grass, timothy, alfalfa, clovers, Canada 

 field peas, cowpeas, soy-beans, mangels, vetches, and other grasses and forage 

 plants, buckwheat, flax, rape, barley, field corn, oats, rye, wheat and other cereals 

 which are sold, offered or exposed for sale within this commonwealth for use 

 for seeding purposes therein. 



"Vegetable seeds," in sections two hundred and sixty-one A to two hundred 

 and sixty-one L, inclusive, the seeds of those crops that are usually grown in 

 Massachusetts in gardens or on truck farms and generally known and sold under 

 the name of "vegetable seeds." 



"Noxious weed seeds," in sections two hundred and sixty-one A to two hun- 

 dred and sixty-one L, inclusive, the seeds of quack grass (Agropyron repens) , 

 Canada thistle (Cirsium Arvense), dodder species (Cuscuta Spp.), wild mustard 

 species (Brassica Spp.) and English plantain (Plantago lanceolata). 



"Weed seeds," in sections two hundred and sixty-one A to two hundred and 

 sixty-one L, inclusive, all seeds other than agricultural seeds and vegetable seeds 

 as defined in this section, and other than flower seeds. 



"Inert matter," in sections two hundred and sixty-one A to two hundred and 

 sixty-one L, inclusive, all foreign matter other than seeds. 



"Lot," in sections two hundred and sixty-one A to two hundred and sixty- 

 one L, inclusive, contents of any container, open or sealed, from which or in 

 which agricultural seeds are sold, offered or exposed for sale. 



1 Assisted by Miss Jessie L. Anderson. Technical Assistant. 



