468 



Failure of Black Yeo Oats in Glamorgan. [Aug., 



at the end of the month only about half the height of the 

 series receiving normal, half and double watering respectively. 



The experiment was not continued for longer than 33 days 

 when all the plants were covered with Erysiphe graminis but 

 .this in no way influenced the results above referred to.* 



In view of the frequent failures of cereal crops that occur in 

 Wales, and in the areas of high rainfall in England, in a year 

 following an adverse harvesting season, the question of the 

 suitability for seed of damaged or apparently damaged grain is 

 an exceedingly important one. 



It is possible that the effective damage to the Eadnorshire 

 Sprig or Black Yeo may not have been the direct result of heating 

 in the stack or in store, but may have been due to the grain 

 being over kiln dried while in an " unripe " soft and damp 

 condition. 



Damage arising out of adverse harvest conditions therefore calls 

 for investigation from two points of view — (1) to endeavour to 

 find out how best to counteract such influences, and (2) to estab- 

 lish a laboratory or other simple and rapidly conducted test upon 

 the result of which it would be possible to form a correct opinion 

 as to the potential crop-producing capacity of the seed. 



This question has been under tentative inquiry at Aberystwyth 

 for a Dumber of years; it is. however, always difficult to obtain 

 sufficiently accurate particulars of the conditions which have 

 led to the damage, real or supposed, in respect of samples 

 received. 



The clause in the Seeds Act relative to cereals affords very 

 considerable, although, as the case of Black Yeo here dis- 

 cussed indicates, not complete protection. Tests conducted on a 

 considerable number of samples of more or less well known his- 

 tory during the past 8 years at Aberystwyth seem to indicate, 

 however, that in most cases badly damaged samples are incapable 

 of germinating over about 60 per cent, and frequently germinate 

 no more than 10 per cent.f 



It is suggested that additional protection would be provided 

 if the energy of germination w T as always stated, in the case of 

 cereals, on the reports sent out from the Official Seed Testing 

 Stations for England, Scotland and Ireland, and that fu-ther 



° The pots had of course to be kept in a frame always covered at night 

 and in the day time whenever it rained. 



f This view was also borne out by results on samples tested at the 

 Official Seed Testing Station (then at the Food Production Department) in 

 1917-18. For instance, 6 per cent, of the wheat samples tested germinated 

 below 50 per cent., as did an appreciable proportion of the oat and barley 

 samples. 



