58 FOEAGE CROPS IN DENMARK 



commonly paid for mangel seed, and 3 for seed of swedes or 

 turnips, and many a small seed grower has reaped a rich reward 

 for his labour in improving his strain. 



Before giving the results of the three-year competitions in 

 this third series it will be necessary to explain an innovation 

 in the way of describing the first- class strains. In 1900 a strain 

 of Barres mangel, Sludstrup, was placed in Class I. For the 

 competition of 1911-13 eight strains, derived from this Sludstrup 

 strain, were entered, of which only two were found to be of 

 Class I., four were of Class II., and two even as low as Class III. 

 This confirms what has been mentioned previously that a state- 

 ment or a certificate showing a strain to be of Class I. is valid 

 only for a limited number of years, as by careless seed growing 

 from ordinary trade seed a strain can degenerate in the course 

 of a few years. It would be manifestly unjust to the owner of 

 a Sludstrup strain of Class I. that a degenerated third-class 

 strain should bear the same name, even if derived from a stock 

 of the original first-class Sludstrup. And it would be mis- 

 leading to farmers and would entirely neutralise* the effect of 

 these competitions if those strains, which were really Class I. 

 could not be distinguished from degenerate derivates of former 

 first-class strains. The object of distinguishing those strains, 

 which at a given time are first-class strains, has been attained 

 in a manner equally simple and effective. The competition of 

 1911-13 was the fourth one in connection with which the names 

 of the best strains of mangels were published. The strains 

 found to be of Class I. at the competition of 1911-13 are there- 

 fore named Sludstrup IV., Rosted IV., and so on, with the 

 Roman figure IV. added to the name, showing at what date, in 

 which competition, the strain obtained its Class I. certificate. 

 Similarly the first-class strains at the competition of 1914-16 

 are distinguished by the Roman figure V., and so on. A name 

 such as " Ferritslev V." is a trade description which can be 

 protected in the Courts, and the sale of seed of Ferritslev IV. 

 as if it were seed of Ferritslev V. is an infringement of the 

 law. 



For the competition held in 1911-13 there were entered 20 

 strains of Barres, and of Turnips : 3 strains of Yellow Tankard, 

 9 of Funen Bortfeld, and 4 of round turnips, besides 6 strains 



