SEED STATIONS AND THEIR WORK 



207 



with those of chess, which they much resemble. Holcus lanatus, 

 a poor grass, is also found in rye-grass. Meadow fescue is largely 

 adulterated witli that of perennial rye-grass, a cheaper seed of 

 less vahu'. 



Fig. 88.— c, A floret of meadow 

 fescue ; /, the same enlarged ; 

 0, the other side of the base of 

 same. 



I 



Fig. 89.— e, A floret of peren- 

 nial rye grass ; f, the same en- 

 larged ; y, theotlier side of the 

 base. Observe the ditt'ereiice 

 in the apexes, difi'erence in the 

 piece of the rachis held by 

 each, though this is not uni- 

 formly as here shown. Ob- 

 serve the base of Fig. 88 is 

 convex, while that of Fig. 89 is 

 flat or concave. 



Crested dog's-tail is largely adulterated with Molinia cmrnlea, 

 which is of no value. 



Seeds formerly sold, even by the very best seedsmen, were 

 more or less tampered with, and they were careful to adulterate 

 their seeds about so much each year to prevent troublesome 

 questions. 



In Germany, the mills ground quartz, it was sifted, colored, 

 and mixed with seeds of clover. Pure seeds are quoted as "net 

 seed," while dead ones are quoted as trio or '*000." 



James Hunter, of England, in his seed catalogue and treatise 

 on grasses, writes: ''If it be asked how such a state of things 

 can be possible, the only reply that can be given is, that so com- 

 plete is the want of knowledge of this subject on the part of the 

 seedsmen and agriculturists, that almost any species of adulter- 



