CONTROL SERIES No. 107 



1940 OFFICIAL INSPECTION OF AGRICULTURAL SEEDS 



From December 1, 1939, to November 1, 1940, the Seed Laboratory received 

 and worked 28.54 sampler of seed, of which 1055 were collected by the State 

 Department of Agriculture and 1799 were sent in by seedsmen, farmers, and 

 various state institutions. An additional lot of 194 samples of flower seeds, for 

 field tests only, was also received from the State Commissioner of Agriculture. 



Classification of these samples with the total number of laboratory tests in- 

 volved is shown in the following summary. It will be noted that the total number 

 of tests required for the 2854 samples was 4046; 802 for purity and 3184 for 

 germination . 



Number of number of tests 



Samples Purity Germination 



713 Field Crops for Purity and Germination 713 713 



5 Field Crops for Purity Only 5 



158 Field Crops for Germination Only 158 



103 Lawn and other types of Mixtures for Purity 103 



Germinations involving 440 ingredients 440 



41 Lawn Mixtures for Purity Only 41 



13 Lawn Mixtures for Germination Only, Germination 



involving 52 ingredients 52 



1527 Vegetables for Germination Only 1527 



43 Herbs for Germination Only 43 



98 Flower Seeds for Germination Only 98 



147 Tobacco Seeds for Germination Only 147 



(i Tree Seeds for Germination Only <> 



2854 Totals 862 Mist 



Field tests to determine trueness to type were conducted in cooperation with 

 the Departments of Olericulture, Floriculture, and Agronomy, which tested 

 respectively 253 samples of Vegetable seeds, 104 samples of Flower seeds, and 

 123 samples of Corn. Thirty-one samples of Oats and 35 samples of Red Clover, 

 which were received too late for field tests this season, will be tested during the 

 season of 1941. Results of the field tests are shown on Pages S5-104. 



The Seed Laboratory cleaned 2 lots of Onion seed and 100 lots of Tobacco 

 seed for Connecticut Valley farmers. More Tobacco seed was cleaned this 

 season than for any year since the Seed Laboratory offered this service. The 

 gross weight of the 100 lots of seed received amounted to 1 ."><>. 7 pounds with a net 

 weight of cleaned seed 121.5 pounds. 



Explanation of 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 1937 

 and 1938, Chapters 288 and 363, defines the group from Alfalfa to Wheat, in- 

 clusive; Section 261-B, Mixtures; Section 261-C, Special Mixtures; and Section 

 201-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. 



Various symbols have been used to call attention to violations and irregularities 

 and with certain tables a column is devoted to "Notes." Where symbols 

 occur an explanation is given in footnotes at bottom of the page. 



