I was the first to respond that your problems were likely cultural
practices.
Still your experiment is only anecdotal evidence due to other
variables unaccounted for.
Your seed could have just as easily gotten fried in the postal system
or cooked on your letter carriers dashboard, you just don't know.

Best to keep a line of communication going with Parks about your
problem.
Worse than a crank customer is one with legitimate problems that
provides no feedback.