March i, 1884.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



631 



•■'dd reaches maturity in a shorter time than was formerly 

 the case, although the mean temperature of its new home 

 may be sensibly lower than that of its original locality. 

 If, after some time, the seed of such plant is taken back 

 to its old climate, it ripens for some years at an earlier period 

 than before its transportation to a more northerly situation. 



2. Nearly all plants growing in elevated situations possess 

 more smell and colom' than the same plants cultivated at 

 lower latitudes. 



3. The seeds of most plants increase to a certain point 

 both in size and weight, according as they are transported 

 towards the north — on condition, however, that this trans- 

 port is not all at once, nor carried beyond a point at which 

 the plants can attain perfect development during the short 

 summer of these regions. In again acclimatising to the 

 south, i.e., to their original locality, the grains assume at 

 the end of some years their original dimensions. 



4. Seeds grown in a northern locality have a thinner 

 kin, germinate more rapidly and evenly, and produce more 

 igorous plants than such as are natives of more temperate 

 liraates. 



These conclusions of Professor Schlibler have been con- 

 lirmed by the researches of such authorities as Peterraann 

 of Gembloux, Nobbe of Tharand, &c. The former states, 

 in his " Researches on the Seeds Produced in High Latitudes," 

 that seeds of clovers, firs, and pines grown in iSwcdcn in 

 latitudes from 55' 20' to 60° 40' are distinguished from those 

 of more temperate regions by their germinating power, seen 

 aot only in the percentage of growth but also in rapidity 

 ,f growth, by their purity, and by greater weight. 



As regards red clover aud Alsike clover, the important 

 fact has been proved that Swedish seed was exempt from 

 dodder, and this not so much on account of care in cultiv- 

 ation, as from the absence of this pe.st in the northern regions. 

 The high germinating power on one hanti, and absolute in- 

 creased weight on the other, of northern seed, explain the 

 precocity and ciuality which, according to Schiibler and other 

 experimenters, it possesses when transported from the north 

 towai'ds the south, and when compared there with native 

 grain. As a further evidence of these facts, Professor Nobbe 

 states that the result of trials on red clover in divers parts 

 of Europe proved that seed from Upsala, in Sweden, gave 

 the best results as to size of grains, the second place being 

 gained by seed from Aas, in Norway. 



As regards the germinating power of Swedish seed, M. 

 Nobbe's experience confirms that of Professor Petermann, 

 viz., a much greater force than that of either German, 

 Belgian, or French seed. This quahty was not confined 

 to clover seeds only — of which, for example, German seed 

 hail a mean germinating power of from 60 to 70 per cent, 

 whilst Swedish seed frequently reached 90 per cent — but 

 was equally true of cereals and root crops, which possessed 

 a mean germinating power ranging from 90 to 100 per cent. 

 In his experiments with Swedish seed of cereals, different 

 varieties of clover, turnips, &c., more than 90 per cent 

 germinated in a period of three days. Besides this, the root 

 growth of Swedish seed is equally remarkable. By actual 

 exjjcrimeut it was founci that, whilst 100 grains of German 

 barley had developed 18S primary roots in three days, an 

 equal number of Swedish grains yielded 333 roots in the 

 same period ; in the matter of length the difference heing 

 also noticealjle — namely, 1,192 millimetres of root in the 

 German seodi ngainst 2,662 millimetres in the Swedish seed. 

 Also, as regards the proportion of bran to total grain, many 

 comparative experiments had all been favourablo* to Swedish 

 gram. Those, for example, of Professor Haberlandt, on 

 fourteen samples of oats, showed that seed from Ohristian- 

 sand in Norway had the least percentage of bran. Pro- 

 fessor Nobbe.'s experiments on the same point were equally 

 satisfactory. As coufirmatiou of what had been advanced, 

 the author gives the result of experiments on germinating 

 power of Swedish seed at tlie station at C)hristiaiisan<l 

 during the fom' years that it has been in work. A great 

 number of these occurred in 1881, when the harvest was 

 unequal, aud under very unfavourable conditions of tem- 

 perature. ^^ea^l of Germinating 

 Samples. Powder. 



Wheat 36 ... S-l percent. 



Rye 99 9307 ,. 



Barley 138 04 !»3 „ 



Oats 126 9500 „ 



Peas .' 44 ,ii,.i,. ...... 9&-02 ,, 



The investigations at the same station as to the pro- 

 portion of bran to flour in nineteen different samples of 

 oats from the Province of Ohristianstad, grown in 1881, 

 gave a mean weight of 25'82 per cent, with a maximum 

 of 28'85 per cent, and a minimum of 23'S5 per cent.. Con- 

 sidering that the weight of skin often equals half that of 

 the whole grain, it \vill be evident that these results are 

 very satisfactory, and establish the high quaUty of Swedish 

 grain in this important particular. 



After proving that these superior properties are enjoyed 

 more or less by all kinds of seeds grown in Sweden and 

 similarly situated countries, Mr. Wahlstedt proceeds to 

 consider to what circumstances these qualities are attri- 

 butable. One of the most important appears to be the 

 greater duration of daylight during the northern summer, 

 it being a fact that in the most northern parts of Sweden 

 there is practically no night for sixty days in .June and 

 .luly; The short nights of summer result in a more equal 

 temperature throughout the day, as after sunset there is 

 not time for either air or soil to become sensibly cold 

 before dawn. A third important condition is probably the 

 squal moisture during the period of growth, which arises 

 on the one hand from the gentle warm rain which falls 

 at this period, and on the other from the abundant at- 

 mospheric humidity which prevails. Natural richness of 

 soil, and latterly the addition of suitable manures, are 

 conditions that must not be overlooked, as well as the 

 great care exercised by Swedish farmers as to clean cultiv- 

 ation and careful .selection of seed. 



The next point considered tiy Mr Wahlstedt is what 

 advantage those who farm in lower latitudes may obtain 

 by using, from time to time, seed grown in more northern 

 climates. Already the value of clovers, grasses, turnips, 

 and the different kinds of cuhnary vegetables from such 

 a source is established over a large part of Europe, and 

 in England especially. "The case is quite different as re- 

 gards the common cereals, which have only quite recently 

 been introduced, experimentally, into the temperate cUm- 

 ates of Bm-ope. The most characteristic properties of 

 cereals of northern growth are recalled— viz. : (1) size and 

 uniformity ; (2) high germinating power; (3) great purity, 

 and almost entire absence of weed seeds; (4) quick develop- 

 ment and rapid ripening. As regards the size of the grain, 

 it is well known that the embryos of seeds of the same 

 .sort possess similar weight, whether the seeds are large 

 or small. As regards the large seed, their dimension and 

 aug-mentation depend on the better development of the 

 reserve of nutriment which exists in the seed ; and the 

 more there is of such nourishment, the greater the sup- 

 ply of food for the young plant during the earlier stages 

 of its growth, aud the more rapid its development. Ex- 

 perience, confirmed by numerous experiments, has shown 

 that the plant which has obtained a good start usually 

 finishes well. Thus, he goes on, the u.se of northern seed 

 is accompanied by the following advantages : Germination 

 is more perfect aud regular ; the young plants lu-e more 

 unifornt and strong, especially as regards root growth; 

 above all, they are more capable of resisting unfavourable 

 influences, whether these arise from bad weather, absence 

 of sun, or are caused by insects or vegetable parasites. 

 At a more advanced stage, the plants are more bulky and 

 grow with greater vigour, for the reason that root growth 

 is more developed. Finally, the same plants yield better 

 botli of grain and straw, and come to maturity more 

 rapidly. The extra cost of northern seed is thus an}ply 

 repaid. Mr. Wahlstedt concludes his valuiible report Iiy 

 describing the measures taken by large proprietors, and 

 by the leading agi-icultur.al institutions, to promote and 

 encom-age more careful attention to the growth of seeds 

 of various kinds in districts specially for such production. 

 Numerous stations have been established, and in nearly 

 every province societies have been founded with the ob- 

 ject of encouraging good cultivation and careful selection. 

 Aud farther publicity has been given to this important 

 subject, by exhibitions during the last three years, at 

 Christianstad in 1880, at Boras in 1881, and at Sunds\'all 

 in 1882; aud this year a similar exhibition has beeu held 

 at Kalnmr. In order to prove by experiment the value 

 of seeds from Sweden for Central Europe, a Mr L. O. 

 Smith, a Stockjiolm merchant, has place<l at the disposition 

 of the Royal Academy of Agriculture a considerable sum, 

 in order that grain and other seeds may be sent to differ- 



