Ssptember 2, 1869. ] 



JOURNAIi OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAHDENER, 



MT 



is not acIaUerated, ro fur as my own experience is concerned, to the 

 extent that other Beed^ are. 



It is, however, mixed somttimes with the seed of the Sugar Beet ? — 

 Tea, sometimeB. 



And ia that seed kilUd ? — Yeq. 



Con yoo easily Jiatinf^aish Mangold Wnrtzel adnlterattd with Beot- 

 lOot ? — Yon cannot. 



Not even an expert? — No, I wonid not profess to judge Mangold 

 Wnrtzel. 



I have a sample here, and I was going to aak if you could tell the 

 differeuce ? — No. 



What ia the diflfert^nce in the price of Beet seed and Mangold Wnrtzel 

 geed? — It all depeuds u[)on the season; sometimts we have Mangold 

 Wnrtzel seed as cheap as Bpet seed. 



Take the average ? — Well. I suppose £20 a-ton for Sugar Beet, and 

 for Mangold Wnrtzel £30 to £32. 



Therefore there is a difference of ahont 50 per cent, in the price ? — 

 About that. 



And yon say that the seed merchant who mixns these two hinds of 

 seeds derives uo profit from that mixture ? — Well, the profit I should 

 say is very little on account of competition : there is as much profit out 

 of genuine seed as there is out of adulterated seed, generally speaking. 



That is to say if all the merchants sold genuine seed there would be 

 as much profit a^ if they all sold adulterated seed? — Yes. 



Therefore the only loser in this trade of mixing is the poor farmer ? 

 I should say he is the loser, from my own observation in the matter. 



But he is a loser ? — I should say so. 



It has been given in evidence that he is not, in as far as he gets his 

 seeds cheaper ; what have jou to sdy to that ? — That is another matter 

 altogether ; so far as he gets his seed cheaper he may not be a loser ; 

 but the question is whether adulterated eeeds are as cheap as good seeds. 



If you look to the ultimate produce of the crops there is no doubt 

 that he is a very great loser by buying adulterated instead of unadul- 

 terated seed ? — Yes, in that light he ia. 



Mr. Brand. — I understand you to say that you have been about 

 twenty years in the seed trade ? — Yes. 



Has that practice of adulteration increased within your experience ? 

 — I should say it has. 



Has it extended to different classes of seeds? — Yes, all classes. 



That is to say, tliat seed which, when yon began business, were not 

 adulterated, are adulterated now ? — No, I should say that all kinds of 

 seeds that were adulterated when I first had a knowledge of the trade 

 are still adulterated, and I do not know that they have increased in 

 aorta, though they may have done ao ; bnt I should say that in general 

 the practice has increased. 



And the demand for thesn seeds, especially Turnip and Manso?d, and 

 Clover, has increased very largely in your recollection ? — Yes, very 

 largely ; more particularly in Ireland. 



Chairiian- — I think you eaid that yon consileredthat the Bill would 

 be operative iu the form, or nearly in the form, in which it now stands ? — 

 I think so ; at least, I have very little doubt about it. 



Do you think that the seedsmen themselves would take any steps to 

 assist its operation by forming themselves into an association ? — There 

 is no doubt that there will be an as'^ociati^n of some kind formed. 



With the object of assisting the operation of the Bill ? — Yes. 



Under which the seedsmen would constitute themselves, as members 

 of their own bodies, inspectors to report caaes to the trade, and lay in- 

 formation where they discovered practice.* of adulteration to be carried 

 on ?— Yes. 



Now I should just like to ask you what yon think would be the effect 

 of all this inquiry, supposing that this Bill was not passed into law ; 

 do yon think the publicity given to the matter will have the effect of 

 discoaragiug the (iractice, or, on the contrary, do yon think that the 

 adulteration woul I increase from the greater knowledge of the practice 

 that would bo obtained ? — While it is fresh in the mind of the public it 

 may probably deter the practice to a limited extent ; but we shall soon 

 forget it again, and more particularly when we have a scarcity of seeds. 

 If Parliament does not interfere with it, I believe that iu a very short 

 tiine it will be even more on the increase; I believe that it will be 

 carried on by inexperienced persons, and coDsequently a great deal 

 more injury will be done in the use of the killed seeds than nuder the 

 present system, as it is now carried on by experienced persons. 



You have said that you thinl' the number of snrta of seeds to which 

 the practice of adulteration is applied has not increased^ do yon think 

 that the number of districts in which it prevails bus increased ? — Well, 

 I cannot exactly answer that question. I thiuk that the headquarters 

 for colouring aud fur killing seeds wonld be in London. There may bo 

 other places which have not come to my knowledge ; in fact, I have no 

 doabt that there are other places. 



Bat, speaking generally, you think that the practice is rather on the 

 increase than on the decrease? — I should say so. 



Mr. Shaw-Lefbvre. — Do yon test your seeds before sending them 

 Ont? — As soon as wo receive them from onr growers wo test them. 



So that you know their germinating power before you send them out ? 

 — Yes, that is, we test them when they come in in the autumn, and if 

 there is a weakness of growth, wo note it. In fact, we note all the 

 growths, bnt we take ppe<ial notice of a weak growth. 



You aj,'ree. then, witli Mr. Sharjie and other wituesses, that in adul- 

 terating samples with killed seeds, tlie practice has been to adulterate 

 them down to a certain per-ceutage of germinating power ? — X do not 



quite agree with what has been said about that, beonu^e I believe tbftt 

 {generally the seeds are made np on an avernpe ; that is, in Tnrnip seed, 

 three of the geunine seeds to one killed seed. 



But what has been yonr own practice in mixing killed seeds wHh 

 genuine seeds ? — Upon that rule. 



Then your endeavour has been to reduce the germinatinii power of 

 the sample to 75 per cent., or nbout that? — Well,it comes bulow that; 

 about 70 per cent , I s-honld say. 



But supposin:; that in testius^ your seed you have fonnl it to be notwp 

 to the average, you ha^^e mixed somewhat lesi nf killed seed? — When 

 it is a bad growth, much below an average, then of course we shonid 

 not reduce ic to such an extent. 



Your eudeavour has been to keep the standard at the same level year 

 by year? — Sometiuiea we deviate from the rule. 



As a general rule, that has been your eudeavour ? — As ageneral rule 

 it has. 



What do yon consider that standard to be ; between 70 and 75 per 

 cent. ? — About 70 per cent. ; to get 75 per cent, when the proportion is 

 three and one, erery genuine seed must grow. 



Dn Playp-UR — Do yon agree with Mr. Sharpe in desiring that ther© 

 shall not be included iu clause 3 any prohibition again'%t oiling seeds l» 

 improve their appearance ? — I think that oiling seeds beiu^ part of thft 

 preparation for cleaning seeds, would he beneficial to the seeds. 



What makes you think so? — From my own experience ; for instance* 

 it cleans them from dust aud mites (a very small insei't). It would 

 congeal tho seed sometimes, unless we had a process of <-IeaDing the 

 seed from those little insects, to shv nothing of dust ; I think it would 

 be wrong, therefore, to prohibit oiling the fljeds. 



Did you ever try any experiment ai to the germinating power of 

 oiled seeds and seeds not so treated? — Oiling seeds would nut afTeot 

 the growth of them. 



Have you tried any positive eupcriments on them ? — I have general 

 experience ; but I have not tried positive experiments. 



You do not know whether it affects their germinating power? — I do 

 not hesitate to say that it does not affect the growth or the germiuating 

 power. 



And therefore yon would not wish it included in (his clause ? — No; 

 I think it wonld be wrong to include it, aud to consider it as ftB. 

 adulteration. 



Mr. M'Lagan. — Though it may not destroy the germinating power 

 of the seed, would it not retard the germinating power ? — No, uot at aD. 



Will the oil ou the ou'side of the husk of the seed not prevent that 

 seed being properly moisteoed with water before it can germinate? — ^I 

 should say uot at all. 



We had in evidence that the seeds with which Turnip seed is adulte- 

 rated are sold ua warmuted uot to grow; are you aware whether that 

 killed Beetroot seed, which yon have alluded to as used to adulterato 

 Mangold Wnrtzel, is tometimes sold, too, as warranted not to ^row? — 

 I should say that it is sold with the understanding that it will not grow. 



But not with a warrant not to grow ? — No ; but it is generally under- 

 stood it will not. 



Are yon aware of the lowest price at which that Beetroot is some- 

 times sold? — I do not I. now; I have had so very little to do with that. 



I thought >on dealt extensively in Mangold Wuri?,el ? — Yes; bat I 

 have uot bad much to do with Beetroot; Mangold Wurtzel is not 

 adulterated to the extent that other Si^eds are. 



Have you known Mangold Wurtzel seed to sell for £120 a-ton ? — ^Tes. 



Of course, in that year there would be extensive mixing with Beetroot 

 at £10 a-ton?— Yes. 



Would there not l»e a great profit in that case to the salesman? — I 

 daresay there would be iu many transactions. 



And a great loss to the farmer? — Yes. 



Are there any other seeds with which Turnip seeds are adulterated^ 

 excepting Rubsen «t ed ? — None except Rubsen seed, and the seed some- 

 times called Indian Rtipe ; it is very much like Rubsen seed. And tboB 

 there is tho black Rape for Swede Turnip. 



There is a small sted very often found as a weed amongst onr crop^ 

 in Scotland aud IreJund, is that ever riddled ont? — I presume joa aro 

 alluding to Charlock seed. Any merchant knowing his business would 

 not use that, because it is so utterly distinct from auvthiii'^ else. 



Though an expert mi^jht distint^uish it, do you think a farmer coTiId 

 distinguish it? — Prolialdy he might not; he would if he had once giren 

 himself the trouble to think about it. 



PREVENTING AND DESTROYING MILDEW. 



Feeling mji-fl( to be largely iodebted to " iho JoiirnaV' 

 for tbe varied iijf>'ruiuti<iu wbich I have frotn time to tim6 

 gathered from it* most irjRlruclive Coiamnt^, aud regnrHing it. 

 as I do, in tbe lipbi. of tbe must tffiuient. aid acci-sBihla to 

 amateurs like iii.m-«-I', who in all their numeroua diffiuullieB 

 turn to it for coiiukfI and assistatcf, I venture to < fi^r a few 

 observations for iIik unnKideratiim of such of your readers Ul 

 have suffered fmm ibis moat iusidioua enemy, and unfor- 

 tunately tbeir nitoH is legiun. 



I have been in He baliit of keejdng pot Kises in an orchard 

 house, and Boiueboiv, nrdwilbatauding plemy of air being re- 

 gularly admitted, my Bosea were frequently aud periodically 



