118 



Germination of Indigenous Seeds. 



tical information which can be derived from a study of the actual 

 holdings in working occupation. In any event the Small Hold- 

 ings Committee of the West Riding and their architect, Mr. 

 Foster, are to be congratulated upon their originality in produc- 

 ing a building of such merit, and may feel assured that the 

 progress of the experiment will be watched with the utmost 

 keenness by all those who believe that finality in farm planning 

 has by no means yet been reached in this country. 



****** 



GERMINATION OF INDIGENOUS 

 GRASS AND CLOVER SEEDS. 



Professor K. G. Stapledon, M.A., 

 Plant Breeding Station, AberyshOyth. 



In a prevons article in the Journal* the present writer drew 

 attention to the probable usefulness of strains of indigenous 

 herbage plants for use in the preparation of temporary and 

 permanent grass. 



This matter was under consideration at the Food Production 

 Department in 1917-18, wdien with the assistance of numerous 

 interested persons a considerable amount of seed of various 

 species w^as collected, t During the past three years much 

 additional seed has been obtained in connection with the work 

 now 7 in progress at Aberystwyth. It is not proposed to deal 

 here with the evidence that has now r been accumulated as to 

 the undoubted merit of indigenous strains of many of the 

 grasses,} but it is only the purpose of this article to compare 

 the germinating capacity and other characteristics of seed 

 collected from plants growing in their natural habitats, on one 

 hand with seed grown and harvested at Aberystwyth, and on 

 the other hand with ordinary commercial samples. In certain 

 cases it is also possible to give some idea of the amount of seed 

 that may be collected per person per unit of time. The yields 

 obtained from plots producing " once grown " seed are not here 

 discussed. The necessary tests on seed collected during 



* See "The Temporary Ley": This Journal February, 1919, p. 1280. 



f See "Plant Breeding Work at Aberystwyth," ibid October, 1920, for. 

 acknowledgment to those who then rendered assistance. 



% See " Preliminary Investigations with Herbage Plants," Welsh Plant 

 Breeding Station, Aberystwyth, Bull. H.l. for particulars of quantitative trials 

 so far conducted. 



