136 Remarks on Mr. Hunter s Notes on the Seed Trade. 



APPENDIX II. 



On some Xote-s on the Seed Trade and Gfrass Seeds supplied by Mr. Jas. 

 Ilunler, ArjriculturaL Seed Merchant, Chester. 



When my late friend, Mr. Faunce de Laune of Sharsted Court, 

 Kent, wrote, in 1882, his paper on " Laying Down Land to Permanent 

 Pasture"* — a paper which initiated all the important results that 

 followed it both in the seed trade and in the selection of seeds by 

 agriculturists, as well as in the cleaning of seeds, which resulted in 

 thistles and weeds being largely diminished — the grass and seed 

 trade in this country was in a most extraordinary condition, and 

 illustrates the need, to which I have repeatedly called attention, for 

 agricultural schools. For, at the time my friend wrote, Mr. James 

 Hunter points out that "great ignorance of the permanent grasses 

 prevailed both amongst seedsmen and agriculturists. Seedsmen 

 knew little either of the species of grasses or their seeds, and agri- 

 culturists still less. When land was laid down to permanent grass 

 a ' mixture ' of seeds was ordered, and the agriculturist accepted 

 whatever was supplied, as he had no knowledge to enable him to 

 look after his own interests. Such being the case, adulterated seeds, 

 and seeds of very inferior quality, were freely sold without any 

 complaint being made by the purchasers ; and, as the price of different 

 grass seeds varies considerably, the cheaper were used in excessive 

 quantity. Thus ryegrass seed, which is always low-priced, was 

 largely used in permanent grass mixtures, and it was also the 

 adulterant in the cases of meadow fescue, cocksfoot, &c. It might 

 readily happen, therefore, that, owing to the low quality and inferior 

 germination of the grass seeds (other than ryegrass) used, and the 

 large proportion of ryegrass (which is usually of good germination) 

 in the mixture, nine-tenths of the grasses in a pasture might be 

 ryegrass. To Mr, Faunce de Laune is due the great credit of being 

 the first to discover and draw attention to this great evil, and his 

 efforts have had most beneficial results, not only in directing attention 

 to the proper species to grow, but in creating a demand for pure 

 seeds, which is now fairly supplied. It must not, however, be sup- 

 posed that the sale of bad seeds has been stopped. A perusal of the 

 annual reports of the consulting botanist to the Royal Agricultura 

 Society of England will show that this is still too common. But with 

 ordinary care on the part of the buyer, there is now no difficulty in 

 procuring pure seeds." Mr. Hunter then gives the following extract 



^ "Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England." Second Series 

 Vol. XVIII. 1882. John Murray, London. 



