570 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



November 28, 1908. 



in Ireland in 1901, which is doing an excellent woii<. 

 The samples tested in the first year numbered -ISiS : in 

 1907 they had increased to l,4(j0, while the total 

 number of samples reported from tiie beginning of the 

 work to the end of 1907 was nearly 7,000. Fai-mers 

 are charged only od. for each sample of seed reported 

 •upon. 



Since this subject is one of general importance 

 to agricidturists, a few notes on tlie qualiries which 

 characterize a good seed, and the methods followed in 

 ascei taming tliesc point?:, mny not be witlioiit interest. 



In estimating the \aluo (4' serd the i|ualilics tes- 

 t'd are tiie geiuiincness, ]iuin\' .-md gcrniinati\ >■ pcjut-r. 

 A sam])le is genuine wiicn, on cx.iniinaiion. it Inins 

 out to be i-calU' the kind described by llie seed mer- 

 chant, and not a seed similar in nppeainnce but of 

 inferior worth. There e.xi^t st-veral inslances in which 

 the seeds of ono speeie.s (if Eni-oiio.in grass ,'^o nejirly 

 resemble those of anothoi- species, that I he aid of the 

 microscope is often ri'ipiii'ed to distingiush the difl'er- 

 ence. This also applies to one or two crops otiier than 

 grass. In such cases it is obvious ih.it, tlio seller is 

 under considerable tem[)tation to substitute the cheaper, 

 more easily obtained seed for the dealer and better kitnl. 

 The seed-testing station is the melius of protection tor 

 the purchaser. 



- In testing the purity of a sample of seed, the 

 quantity and kind of foreign matter jiie'ent is itivosti- 

 gated. The two chief sources of impuiity are inert 

 matter, such as stones, j)aiticlcs of soil, broken seeds, 

 stalks, etc., and the s(>eds of other jilaiits, chietiy 

 weeds. The jturity of a seed is a very important 

 consideration, as the presence of im|iuiities is the cause 

 not merely of a diminished yield, but is also responsible 

 for the spread of weeds. Groat improvement has of 

 late years taken jilace in this branch of the seed trade, 

 and elaborate machinery now exists by means of which 

 the impurities are removed. The pio(!ess ibilowed in 

 testing the puiity of a seed isquite simple. A definite 

 weight of ai\ average sample of thi' bulk is taken, the 

 jmpuritics of the two kinds mentioned are separated 

 out, weighed, and expressed^as a percentage. 



The germinating power of a seed sample is a third 

 and most important jiointtobe tested. The seed from 

 which the impuiities iiave been removed is taken, and 

 I'rom it a definite number, which usually varies from 

 200 to 400, is separated without selection, and placed 

 under suit-able conditions of temperature, moisture, and 

 air, for germination. A porous plate, thick folded blot- 

 ting-paper, folded Haniiel, layers of sand or even garden 



soil in a saucer, are all utilized, under different circum- 

 stances, for testing germination, and they constitute 

 the ' seed-bed.' The seeds are spread on the seed-bed 

 (between the layers of flannel or blotting-paper if either 

 of these is used), care is taken to ensure ;i sufficient 

 su]iply of moisture, while 20 C. (GcS' F.) may be taken 

 as a siuc.able temjieraturc. 



In the Agrieidhn-iil Ni't(^.i, Vol. II, p. 153, and 

 Vol. V, p. .58, a simple metiiod of testing the germina- 

 ting power of seeds is described, which maybe adopted 

 at iiome by any one. A dish half fidl of water is taken, 

 and over this is placed another dish of porous clay, with 

 its rim resting on th.at below, and its under surface 

 in cont;ict with the water. 1'he seeds to be tested are 

 )p|ac<M| on the jioruus <lish, which should be kept in 

 .a shady spot. 



Under the condit.ions described, .-dl the seeds 

 cajKible of germination will have sproiMed at the end 

 ol a certain time, which is known generallv for each 

 kind ol seed. Germination which is slow and iri'egular 

 compared with the avernge for the kind of seed 

 under consideration indicates jioor \it.ility. The 

 riper and more perfect the seed, the more uiufbrmly 

 and quickly will it germin.ate. Each d:iv the seeds 

 whifh have sjirouted are counted, and fion^. the total 

 number which have sprouted at the end of the lime 

 lituit, the getniinajtion percentage is calcidateil. 'J'hese 

 tests show that one-year old seed is, in the majority of 

 cases, the best to sow. From two years on, seeds lose 

 their vitality by degrees. 



What is known as the 'true value' of a seed 

 depeiKls both on the percentage purity and the germina- 

 ting power, and these t\\(i characteristics must be 

 (considered together in reporting on the quality. To 

 get at the true value, the numbers representing the 

 pcncentage ]Hirity and the germinating jiower respec- 

 tively, are multiplied together and the product ilivided 

 by 100. On this basis it will bo seen that the true 

 value of a sample of onion seed showing 90 per cent, 

 purity and <SI) per cent, germinating power, is 72: that 

 is, everv 100 lb. contains onlv 72 lb. good seed. 



Oils Seeds in India. A writer in a recent nninbcr 

 of tlie Jiidiiia Rt'i'icii' estimates tliiit about 2,.")00,000 tons 

 of oil-liearing .seeds are aniuially })ro(lured in India, of which 

 the most inip<irtant are sesamuni (gingelly), linseed, rape, 

 cotton, ground nut, castor-oil seed.s, and cocoa-nut. About 

 C, 000,000 gallons of oil, and 1,000,000 tons of raw products 

 are annually exported front the country. The benefit that 

 would accrue to native stock-keepers if the oil were expres-etl 

 in India before export, and the residual cake used as a stick 

 food is poi)ited out by the writer. 



