6s6 FARM ' SEEDS ' : SPECIAL 



coarse, raised network, on which are spiny projections (A, 

 Fig. 206). 



Colour and Brightness. — The seeds are yellowish to greenish- 

 brown, and fairly bright. When dark-brown or black, they are 

 either old or injured by rain and dampness. The colour of the 

 pod in good ripe samples is brown ; very pale yellow and greenish 

 ones being defective and unripe. 



Purity. — Seed freed from the husk should be absolutely pure. 

 Samples in the husk, and especially those of foreign origin, are 

 usually found to contain two or three per cent, of weed seeds, 

 the worst being the Burnets (Poterium Sanguisorba L. and 

 P. muricatum Spach.). The fruits of these plants are smaller 

 than those of Sainfoin, four -sided, and winged with rough 

 corrugations between the wings (C, Fig. 206.) 



The rough fruits of Corn Crowfoot (Ranunculus arvensis L.)are 

 also met with, as well as the one-seeded ' joints ' of the fruits of 

 Wild Radish or Jointed Charlock {Raphanus Raphanistrum L.). 



Germination Capacity. — For 'milled' or free seed this 

 should be 90 per cent. ; but for seed in the husk it is rarely 

 so high as this, as the pods with shrivelled contents are often 

 the same size as those with well-developed seeds, and cannot 

 easily be separated from them. Good samples in the husk should, 

 however, have a germination capacity of 75 or 80 per cent. 



Weight. — The ' absolute ' weight is of special importance in 

 estimating the quality of seeds of Sainfoin in the husk ; 1000 

 pods in good samples weigh 20 grams; 1000 true seeds about 

 16 grams. 



UMBELLIFER.a;.— The only plants we need mention belong- 

 ing to this Order are the Carrot and Parsnip. 



The complete fruit consists of two parts, which, when ripe, 

 separate from each other. These halves, or mericarps, as they 

 are called, each contain a single seed, closely united with the 

 walls of the fruit. The parts which are sown for a crop are the 

 mericarps. 



