1920.] 



Report on the Treatment of Seeds. 



971 



Agricultural Holdings Acts, the (iame Laws, and the basis of 

 Local Rating ; and the need for giving further security to the 

 tenant. 



With the Interim Report is printed the Minority Report and 

 Mr. Cautley's memorandum. The Minority Report is of 

 considerable interest on account of the arguments it gives 

 against the policy of guarantees. It favours the view that 

 farmers should be left free, without guarantees, to cultivate 

 their land in the way they deem best, and should obtain for 

 their cereals prices not less than those at which grain is imported. 

 They recommend also that the Boards of Agriculture should 

 organise an efficient system of distribution of all available 

 information relating to the progress and prospects of agricul- 

 ture, with special reference to the course of world prices. Mr. 

 Cautley's memorandum is also an interesting contribution from 

 another point of view. He expresses himself in favour of 

 continuous and substantial guarantees for wheat and oats, 

 the guarantees to be based on the level of agricultural wages, 

 i.e., rising or falling with wages ; with a minimum of restriction 

 on the farmer's freedom of action. 



REPORT ON THE PROPOSED 

 ELECTROLYTIC TREATMENT OF 

 SEEDS (WOLFRYN PROCESS) BEFORE 



SOWING, 



E. J. Russell, D.Sc, F.R.S., 



Director of the Rothamsied Experimental Station. 



During the past three seasons there has been offered to 

 farmers seed treated by an electrolytic process* (Wolfryn 

 process) which, it is claimed, causes marked increase in yield. 

 The cost of the treatment in the case of wheat seed is about 28s. 

 per qr., which works out at about 75. to 10 s. 6i. per acre, 



* The details of the treatment are given as follows in Dr. Mercier's book : — 

 The grain is placed in a solution of 2I-5 per cent, (that is, 4-8 oz. to 

 the gal.) of household salt, in a rectangular water-tight tank made of wood or 

 cemented brick. Both ends of the tank are completely covered inside with a 

 plate of sheet iron about i/8th in. thick. To each iron plate a terminal is 

 attached for affixing the wires which conduct the electric current. A tank 

 of the following dimensions is a convenient size in which to treat up to 

 12 bush, at one time, viz., 6 ft. 6 in. long by 3 ft. broad by i ft. 6 in. deep, 

 inside measurements. [over. 



