Adulteration of S ads 



47 



Seedsmen argue that they have ahvays 

 looked upon farmers and gardeners, who 

 are ahnost exclusively the retail purchasers 

 of seeds, as being possessed of a full 

 average amount of that intelligence which, 

 with a little well-directed application, will en- 

 able them to judge for themselves in all 

 matters pertaining to their profession, among 

 which a knowledge of seeds is certainly not 

 the least important ; and that they do pos- 

 sess the requisite powers of discrimination is 

 evident from the facility with which they 

 detect those minute differences presented by 

 samples of the many cultivated varieties 

 of cereal grains and other large seeded 

 plants with which they have to operate. 

 Hence it may be safely concluded, that in 

 order to acquire an equally discriminating 

 acquaintance ^^dth the smaller seeds, such 

 as those of clovers and grasses, they 

 have only to accustom themselves to the 

 use of the microscope, with which to magnify 

 the smallest seeds to at least the sizes of 

 wheat, oats, barley, beans, or others which 

 they are accustomed to handle. Many look 

 upon the use of the microscope as a mysteri- 

 ous and difficult operation, requiring far too 

 much time, application, and bother for their 

 having anything to do with it ; but they have 

 only to give it a fair trial in order to discover 

 their mistake, disabuse themselves of all such 

 absurd notions, and find, on the contrary, that 

 it is in the highest degree interesting, instruc- 

 tive, and useful. And even as an occasional 

 treat to the young, its wonders will, in their 

 estimation, vie with, if npt surpass, those of 

 the magic lantern, the kaleidoscope, and the 

 wheel of life, while they will have a more 

 potent influence in providing an after taste 

 for intellectual and useful research. Many 

 of the smaller seeds which, to the unaided 

 eye, seem very much alike, yet present re- 

 markably diversified, and often very beautiful 

 appearances when viewed through a micro- 

 scope of only ordinary power; and when one is 

 accustomed so to look at them, the transition is 

 easy, to the investigation of the wide fields for 

 microscopic observation which are embraced 

 within the animal, vegetable, and mineral king- 

 doms. 



Mixing, colouring, and killing, are all skil- 

 fully perpetrated in adulterating seeds ; and 

 all these arts, however artistically they may 

 have been applied, are more or less capable 

 of being detected by the microscope. Thus, 

 with clovers and grass seeds, none are so 

 exactly alike but that a difference can be 

 observed by a skilful microscopist, and most 

 of the injurious or worthless kinds employed 

 in mixing are so dissimilar that their detec- 

 tion is comparatively easy. This is not the 

 case, however, with seeds of the varieties of 

 turnips and other brassicas, although those of 

 the different genera, such as common or 

 rough-leaved turnip, Swedish turnip, rape, 

 and even of some of their individual varieties, 

 possess sufficient distinctive characteristics 

 to enable a careful observer to find out 

 whether or not they are mixed. The art of 

 colouring has in the case of clover seed 

 attained to great perfection ; yet careful and 

 repeated observation of the position and 

 shading of the natural colours in the genuine 

 seeds will serve to shew the difference be- 

 tween them and the best examples of artificial 

 colouring ; which last is not nearly so appli- 

 cable to grass and turnip seeds; butthe sulphur 

 smoking of the former, and the oil-dressing of 

 the latter, serve to impart a freshness of appear- 

 ance which the seeds do not actually possess. 



Killing is generally done by oven-heating 

 (sub-roasting) ; or want of vitality may arise 

 from extreme age in the seeds ; in either 

 case the seeds will appear dry when bruised, 

 which is peculiarly marked in turnip, rape, 

 and other oleaginous seeds, from the compara- 

 tive dryness or absence of oil which they 

 exhibit when crushed. Most people are 

 familiar with the difference between fresh and 

 roasted peas, and a similar difference in 

 appearance is presented, under the micro- 

 scope, between fresh and roasted small 

 seeds. 



For further illustrating some of the preced- 

 ing results we are enabled, through the kind- 

 ness of Mr James Bryson, optician, Edinburgh, 

 to give the four accompanying engravings 

 from magnified photographs, prepared by him, 

 the first three of which are from a sample of 

 what, in market phrase, was termed " good red 



