OF ROOT CULTIVATION. 37 



CHAPTER, VII. 



ON THE ART AND MYSTERY OP TURNIP-SEED 

 ADULTERATION. 



It has already been shown that turnip-seed is largely 

 adulterated ; it remains now to point out the nature of 

 the admixtures, which may be summed up under the 

 following heads : — 



1st. Old seeds are mixed with new. 



2nd. Charlock, " Indian rape," and other seeds 



of the Brassicacece, are mixed with genuine 



seed. 



1st. — The crops of seeds vary so much in their 

 produce per acre, in one year, as compared with 

 another, that in most years there is a superabundance 

 of some kinds and a scarcity of others. 



Now, as most seeds are of comparatively little use 

 except for sowing, the surplus stock can only be dis- 

 posed of at extremely low prices. Accordingly some 

 wholesale seedsmen buy large quantities in the " glut 

 season," as it is termed, and store them until the 

 same articles fail in crop. For instance, swede and 

 turnip seeds, 1857 crop, could be bought everywhere 

 at from 15 to 20 shillings per bushel; but owing to 

 the destruction of the roots in the winter of 1859, 

 seedsmen in 1860 had to pay the growers 50s. per 

 bushel. Now, in 1860 there were wholesale houses 

 selling those seeds which they had by them for the 



