494 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



and subsequently germinated. He has had no case of a seed 

 giving a blaze current without subsequent germination. Further, 

 by his method an idea of the degree of vitality of the seed is 

 obtainable. I am hoping to be able, with Dr. Waller's help, to 

 make practical use of his method in seed-testing. 



Fungi on Seeds 



One needs very little experience in seed-testing to realise 

 to what an extent seeds harbour fungi. Many of these 

 fungi are saprophytic, and their abundance is one sign that 

 the seed is old and dead. Others are, however, parasitic. 

 They exist as a hibernating mycelium in the substance of the 

 seed and its coats or in the form of spores attached or clinging 

 to the seed coats or concealed within them, and sprout under the 

 conditions favourable to the germination of the healthy seeds. 

 Several years ago I made an examination of mangel balls 

 showing the pycnidia of Phoma bctce, a fungus which does an 

 immense amount of harm in Ireland. As Appel has recently 

 suggested in such cases as Phoma beta? and Helminthosporium 

 gramineum, seed-testing might aid considerably in preventing 

 unsuitable seed from being sown. In this connection it may be 

 mentioned that Rolfs found the centrifugal apparatus helpful in 

 detecting the spores of Fusarium lini on flax seeds. 



Cost of Seed-testing 



Apparatus. — The Station should have several incubators, a 

 greenhouse if possible, a plot of ground, dissecting and com- 

 pound microscopes, a reliable set of named seeds, certain books, 

 at least two rooms — one for the staff, and one for the incubators. 

 £100 would suffice to equip the Station with the necessary 

 apparatus. 



Staff. — The director should be a trained botanist, and should 

 have at least one scientific assistant who would be responsible to 

 the director for the accuracy of all the work. 



The counting of seeds, washing of dishes, etc., take up a great 

 deal of time, and for these purposes two or three smart boys or 

 girls are necessary. In this Station, with 1,500 samples a year to 

 be tested, the directorship is part of my duty as Professor of 

 Botany in the Royal College of Science. One witness before 



