McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1922-03-10
Adul terated Field Seed

Inspectors have developed the
fact that there is being offered
for sale seed that should never be
allowed to go in the ground. In
Fast Tennessee at Morristown we
found seed sold as standard Glow
er seed that show evidence of in
territorial adulteration for the
purpose Of defraudingtbe farmor;
these clover seed contain fairly
Uniform percentage of sweet
clover seed and of low grade al
falfa seed, both OF which are
much cheaper than red clover
seed. In addition to the sweet
clover and alfalfa, these samples
all show a great variety of weed
seeds including Dodder. Canada
Thistle and Wild Mustard, all of
which are prohibited weeds. The
percentage of pure red clover seed
in ten samples is az follows:
56.17 per cent, 1888 per cent.
$3.50 per cent, 1888 per cent,
68.25 per cent. 500 per cent.
1880 per cent, SO GO per cent,
66.02 per cent, go 10 per cent.
The standard for red clover seed
is 81 per cent. and / am advised
these seed have have been sold as
standard seed.
1t appears that these seeds are
heproduct of mixing certain per-
centages of sweet clover seed, low
grade alfalfa seed and screenings
with red clover seed to sell at a
lower price than pure red clover
seed can be sold. The current
price of standard red clover seed
is today SIG. 20 per bushel, while
some of the seed in question were
offered for $500 per bushel.
Sweet clover can be bought for
S. 90 per bushel and screenings
at a very low price. ! have or
dered the sale of the seed STOP
ped and every pound sold recall
ed and the guilty parties pros
ecuted. To allow such seed sold
is a great Injustice to the farmer,
not only in his getting an infer
ior quality of hay. but polluting
his soil with noxious weed seeds
that will be hard to eradicate.
The sale of such seed is an in
justice to honest seed men who
are trying to do a legitimate bus
mess and sell seed true to name.
If any farmers would be so I'M
wise as to buy such filth called
seed and pollute their farms it is
time for the law to step in and
protect them. If you grow Glow
err and expect the hay to bring a
good price it must be free from
weeds. Farmers who expect to
grow seed for morket cannot af-
ford to use aduiterated seed be-
cause the law to protect the
farmers would prohibit their sale.
Farmers can materially assist the
the Department of Agriculture
by seeing that the seed bear the
inspection stamp of the Depart
ment of Agriculture, and they
should not stopat that, any farm
err can tell if there are different
kinds of seeds by examining be-
fore buying. If so. senda sample
to the Department of Agriculture
and we will test them for purity
and organization. We do not in
tend to prosecute anyone but We
will prosecute any dealer know
ingly selling illegal seeds. Hon
est dealers viii cooperate with
US because we are rendering him
q distinct service. An infringe
ment Of the law though ignorance
is quite a different matter to de-
liberately trying to defrand The
Department of Agriculture will
do everything in its power to
help the farmer and honest deal
er in feed, seed and fertilizers,
but we give notice to the dis
honest and they will pay the full
penalty provided by law when
found out, and it is our business