lily of the valley pips without any sprout?

(brooklyn, NY)

I was given Lily of the valley pips but they do not have decent "sprouts" if at all. The roots look ok... I would like to know if i can plant them in the ground without this or, well, assume they aren't good? Would forcing them be best? I'm new to flowers but have decent amateur experiences with vegetables.
thanks for your help and your time!
dna

Doug says plant them! If the roots are hard, they'll be fine and throw new shoots. Not overly uncommon to see this.