SEED TESTS. 



Made September 1, 1914, to September 1, 1915. 



The provisions of the Pure Seed Law enacted by the General 

 Court in 1909, require the publication annually of a bulletin 

 showing the results of all seed tests made officially during the 

 previous year. The administration of this law is in the hands 

 of the State Commissioner of Agriculture, who has appointed the 

 writer, Agronomist of the Experiment Station, as his regular 

 agent for making all tests and analyses in this state. 



During the year ending September 1, 1915, forty-two samples 

 of seed were voluntarily sent in for analysis. In addition to 

 these, an authorized representative collected eighty, making a 

 total of 122 samples submitted for analysis during the year. 



The samples sent in by the collector were secured from nine- 

 teen dealers in sixteen different towns, representing nine of the 

 ten counties of the state. These samples included 2 of alfalfa, 



4 of alsike clover, 4 of white clover, 4 of barley, 14 of corn, 16 of 

 millet, 3 of oats, 7 of red clover, 6 of redtop, 15 of timothy, and 



5 of miscellaneous seeds. 



A summary table showing the results of the examination of 

 these 80 samples as regards their guaranteed percentage of 

 PU£Jty and germination will be found on pages 13 to 15. 

 /Of the 42 samples sent in voluntarily for examination, the 

 writer has no knowledge that seeds represented by these sam- 

 ples were on the market. Quite frequently dealers and other 

 individuals ask for a report upon the quality of a given sample 

 and make the purchase of seed for their own use upon the basis 

 of this report. It should not, therefore, be understood that 

 seeds represented by all the samples inspected were offered for 

 sale by the parties for whom the inspection was made. 



In the testing and analyzing of seeds, just as in the chemical 

 analysis of fertilizers, there are certain factors which make 

 exact duplication of results impossible. There are always slight 

 vnriations in drawing a sample of seed, in sampling the sample, 

 in weighing small fractional parts of it, in the counting and 

 identification of numerous seeds, etc. ; there may be also fluctu- 

 ations in the temperature and humidity of the germinating 

 chamber which may affect the percentage of germination. 

 Methods of analysis may also vary somewhat. For these rea- 

 sons, a slight variation from the guarantee or standard or from 

 a previous analysis should not be considered of consequence. 

 It is our opinion that a variation of l 1 /2% f° r purity and 5% 

 for germination should be regarded as within the limit of 

 error and duplication. 



The writer desires to acknowledge his appreciation of the 

 careful and efficient work of Mr. W. A. Osgood, who assisted 

 in making the tests and examinations of the samples herewith 

 reported. 



