Seed Wheat. 47 



In making a comparison between the results of these trials and the arguments of 

 the advocates of the use of tailings for seed it is necessary to keep the following various- 

 factors in mind : 



1 . That the small seed used in these trials was from specially selected healthy plants, 



and was, therefore, of the best quality, and free from disease. 



2. That the conditions of culture under which these trials were made were probably 



such as favour the small seeds more than the larger seeds. 



3. That the trials were between equal numbers of seeds. 



4. That every particle of the tailings here used was genuine seed there was no- 



chaff, diseased or split seed, or foreign matter. 



5. That the trials were made with accurately graded seed five years in succession, 



under conditions representative of the bulk of our wheat areas. 



Or, to put the matter from the other side, 



1. Ordinary tailings contain a considerable proportion, amounting sometimes to- 



50 per cent. , of chaff, split grain, diseased grain, and worthless foreign matter. 



2. That the conditions of ordinary culture would probably be proportionally less- 



favourable to the small seeds. 



3. That, apart from the chaff, &c., in ordinary tailings, there is present considerable- 



diseased grain, owing to the fact that in any given sample there is a tendency 

 during the cleaning for such diseased matter to collect among the smaller grades. 



Finally, it should be borne constantly in mind that in making any comparison as 

 to yield we should take into account not only the grain, but also the straw, and remember 

 that the quality of the crops from large seed is always markedly superior, regardless of 

 amount. 



A brief examination of the figures given in the tables will guard the reader against the 

 conclusion that the lower yield of the plants from small seed is due wholly to the fact 

 that the small seeds produce a smaller number of plants. 



It will be found that where the number of plants from small seed is, say, 85 per cent, 

 of the number from large seed, the yield is only 70 per cent. Evidence of this sort is to- 

 be seen throughout the tables, and is a conclusive proof that plants from small seeds are 

 smaller and less productive than plants from large seeds. This fact has an important 

 bearing on the contention that in order to get good crops from small seed, it is only 

 necessary to sow more of such seed per acre. It may be admitted that if it is unfor- 

 tunately necessary to sow small seed, it is best to sow a large quantity in order to make 

 up for its inferior quality ; but it must be remembered that it is in no case possible to 

 get from small seeds as good a quality of crop, whether of grain or straw, as from 

 large plump seeds under the same circumstances. 



Age of Seed Experiment. 



In vol. ix, at p. 186, the writer made the following statement as to the rate at which 

 seed wheat deteriorates in quality through keeping from year to year : 



" These experiments arose from the fact that I could get no satisfactory evidence 

 of the rate at which wheat deteriorates in value as seed. Opinion varies all the way from 

 belief in the vitality of seed found in Egyptian mummies to doubt as to the value of 

 seed grown year before last. As I have saved seed each year for some years, I deter- 

 mined the vitality of the samples by the row system. My seed having been kept in an 

 uniform manner, was eminently suitable material for this experiment. Of course this 

 year's work only constitutes a beginning. I may say, however, that the results of thi 

 season alone show that if seed-wheat be kept in a warm dry place, it deteriorates in 

 seed value very little in five years. This suggests the feasibility of keeping good seed 

 over from season to season, so as to have a supply on hand against a season when all the 

 wheat, being ill-grown, is inferior for seed. The cost of storing and the interest on the 

 value of the stored seed would be less than the additional value of extra good seed in a 

 season when all other seed is inferior, at least within certain limits. I may adduce as an. 

 illustration of this, that it would have been advantageous if seed at Wagga, 1894-5, had 

 been reserved for 1895-6-7. If in reply it be asked, ' Why not procure seed from another 

 district ?' My answer would be that I now have fairly satisfactory evidence that seed 

 from another district is not likely to be advantageous on a well-conducted farm, unless, 

 in addition to the seed being very well-grown, the district be also similar in soil and 

 climate, and that these facts increase the difficulty and cost of getting such seed. " 



