That an extraordinary proportion of the alfalfa seed in the markets, wheresoever from, is adulterated to an amazing extent with seeds of undesirable plants or loaded with worthless, if not actually harmful impurities, is being demonstrated by the United States Department of Agriculture. In a circular pertaining to this work is given the following, showing the adulterants found in samples bought in the open markets of the cities named: --------------------------------------------------------------- Seeds used as adulterants. ------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------- | Sweet | Bur | Yellow | Total City where bought | clover | clover | trefoil |adulterants ------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------- |_Per Cent_|_Per Cent_|_Per Cent_|_Per Cent_ Providence, R. I. | .... | 3.47 | 32.86 | 36.33 Denver, Colo. | .... | 16.86 | .... | 16.86 Rochester, N. Y. | .... | 5.02 | 39.48 | 44.50 Milwaukee, Wis. | .... | 5.74 | .... | 5.74 Indianapolis, Ind.| .... | 4.27 | 38.43 | 42.70 „ „ | .... | 3.90 | 39.53 | 43.43 Marblehead, Mass. | .... | 3.00 | .... | 3.00 Petersburg, Va. | .... | .... | 1.25 | 1.25 Cedar Rapids, Iowa| .... | 5.49 | .... | 5.49 Indianapolis, Ind.| .... | 3.37 | 38.54 | 41.91 Pittsfield, Mass. | 9.52 | .... | .... | 9.52 Atlanta, Ga. | .... | 10.04 | .... | 10.04 Salem, Ill. | .... | .... | 6.98 | 6.98 St. Paul, Minn. | .... | .... | 31.77 | 31.77 Louisville, Ky. | .... | 16.53 | .... | 16.53 New Haven, Conn. | .... | 5.88 | 39.85 | 45.73 Independence, Iowa| .... | 12.69 | .... | 12.69 New Orleans, La. | .... | 2.57 | .63 | 3.20 Troy, N. Y. | .... | 6.23 | 31.26 | 37.49 ------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------- In Farmers’ Bulletin No. 194 of the United States Department of Agriculture is given the table on page 34 to show the result of analyses of alfalfa seed imported within a period of six months.