CONTROL SERIES No. 96 



1938 OFFICIAL INSPECTION OF AGRICULTURAL SEEDS 



From December 1, 1937, to December 1, 1938, the Seed Laboratory received and 

 worked 2424 samples of seed. Of these, 1027 were official samples collected by the 

 State Department of Agriculture from the open markets in 84 towns and cities of 

 Massachusetts; and 1397 were samples sent in by seedsmen, farmers, and the 

 American Can Company. Classification of these samples is shown in the following 

 summary. The total number of tests required for the 2424 samples was 3372, 

 857 for purity and 2515 for germination. 



Number 



of NUMBER OF TESTS 



Samples Purity Germination 



444 Field Crops for Purity and Germination 444 444 



5 Field Crops for Purity Only 5 



7 Field Crops for Germination Only 7 



143 Lawn Mixtures for Purity, Germinations involving 



504 ingredients 143 504 



71 Lawn Mixtures for Purity Only 71 



1 Lawn Mixture for Germination Only 1 



1342 Vegetable Seeds for Germination 1342 



152 Flower Seeds for Germination Only 152 



194 Flower Seeds for Purity Only 194 



15 Tree Seeds for Germination Only 15 



50 Tobacco Seeds for Germination Only 50 



2424 857 2515 



Explanation of the Tables 



In these tables the seeds are listed in alphabetical order by groups, each group 

 containing only those seeds, the sale of which is regulated by a definite section of 

 the Massachusetts Seed Law. Section 261-A of the Acts and Resolves of 1927, 

 Chapter 274, defines the group from Alfalfa to Wheat, inclusive; Section 261-B, 

 Mixtures; Section 261-C, Special Mixtures; and Section 261-D, Vegetables. 



The number preceding each analysis is for identification and reference. The 

 line to the right of the letter "L" gives information copied from the label; that 

 to the right of "F", what was found in the laboratory analysis. Attention is called 

 to certain irregularities by the following: 



The asterisk (*) shows violation in labeling. 



Boldface type indicates low purity, low germination, excessive weed seed, noxious 

 weeds not declared, or excessive inert material, depending upon the column in 

 which it is found. 



Other deficiencies are enumerated as follows: 



(1) Noxious weeds found. 



(2) Old seed (as shown by given date or by correspondence with the whole- 

 saler). 



(3) Ingredient found, but not declared. 



(4) Ingredient declared, but not found. 



(5) Ingredient declared, but percentage found after adding proper tolerance 

 is less than 5%. 



(6) Term not specific. 



(7) Wholesaler claims this seed not sold by him. 



The letter "R" after the germination percentage in the table of vegetable seeds 

 indicates that the sample has received one or more retests. 



