482 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



NEW METHOD FOR ACCELERATING THE GERMINA- 

 TION OF SEEDS, 



(13y a Professor of Botany in the North of England) . 



It is the result of general facts ascertained by long experience. 

 The new method is particularly good for seeds long kept and dry. 

 From the experiments made by Mr. Charles Maltuen, and report- 

 ed in Brewster's Jom-nal, it is shown that the negative or alkaline 

 pole of a pile, makes seeds germinate much more promptly than 

 the positive pole. On this ground, Mr. Maltuen has made seeds 

 germinate in water, acidulated with acetic acids (the pure acid in 

 vinegar) in nitrics, sulphuric, in water rendered alkaline by ad- 

 ding potash and ammonia. In the alkaline water, seeds germina- 

 ted in thirty hours, and at the end of forty houi'S, were well de- 

 veloped; while those in the nitric or sulphuric require seven days. 

 Those in the acetic acid had not begun to germinate at the end of 

 one month. He recommends placing on a board or plate, and 

 moisten them with slaked lime w'ater, and stir them until all are 

 properly wet; then put in a little slaked lime, and mix it in with 

 the seeds well; when the mass of seeds begins to dry, wet them 

 again. They must not be allowed to get dry, for then the lime 

 will injure them. 



THE SUGAR SORGHO 



Seems destined to become, one day, perhaps, the giver of alco- 

 hol than ordinary sugar itself — because of the uncrystallizable 

 matter it contains. 



President Pell left the chair to Judge Livingston, and remarked 

 as follows on the adulteration of food and drugs as determined by 

 scientific analysis recently : 

 Gentlemen of the Farmers'' Club : 



In July last a select committee was appointed in London to 

 enquire into the adulteration of food, drinks and drugs; and as 

 their report may be of immense importance to our community, I 

 will lay before you this morning a few extracts from it. The fol- 

 lowing is a classified list of the articles analysed, and the various 

 substances ascertained to be employed for the different purposes 

 of adulteration. 



Annatto is adulterated with wheat-flour, rye-flour, salt and 

 soap, for bulk and weight; for color, turmeric, a ferruginous 

 earth. Arrowroot with sage, potato and tapioca starches, and 

 various mixtures and combinations of these with the inferior ar- 

 rowroots. Anchovies are mixed Avith Dutch, French and Sice- 

 lian fish, and sometimes those fish are passed off as the anchovy 



