SECOND BEPOHT ON ADULTERATION OE SEEDS. 



39 



tion to the dealer, if he chooses, having half-a-dozen different 

 averages at half-a-dozen different prices, as a grocer sells half-a 

 dozen different kinds of tea, or a wine-merchant of vintages ; but 

 they should be stated to be so. This may seem a digression, but 

 it is not irrelevant ; for the equivocal system which the trade have 

 so long practised will render an extra openness for a long time 

 necessary to recover the confidence of the public. 



Tour Committee are of opinion, therefore, that something more 

 than good resolutions on the part of the trade are absolutely essen- 

 tial ; what that should be is the difficulty. Various suggestions 

 have been made to your Committee ; but they have found no one 

 plan adequate to meet the evil. An application to the Board of 

 Trade for the appointment of a Government inspector has been 

 suggested by some ; either trials of seed at the request of 

 dealers themselves, or unknown to them, and the publication of 

 the results have been recommended by others ; and the passing of 

 an Act of Parliament to render it penal to adulterate or to mix 

 killed seeds with good seeds, is the specific of a considerable 

 number of men whose opinion is entitled to respect ; but your 

 Committee have been unable to see that any one of these steps 

 would of itself be sufficient to meet the end. Probably a combi- 

 nation, or rather a selection, of them might, especially if supported 

 by genuine and sincere exertions on the part of the trade itself. Por 

 actual adulteration (as of clover-seed) an Act seems indispensable ; 

 no one will object to this : but your Committee think it should 

 also extend to the use of killed seed for mixing. No Act, indeed, 

 that could be expected to pass would directly reach the use of old 

 naturally dead seed for this purpose, but it might indirectly ; for 

 if the use of killed were prevented, the actual supply of old dead 

 seed would not be sufficient to do much harm ; and even if it were 

 used, its appearance would betray its presence, and put the pur- 

 chaser on his guard. 



There are other points which can only be reached by introducing 

 more generally a system of actual trials previous to purchases ; 

 and to this your Committee think every effort should be directed. 

 In some districts it appears that farmers and growers are now 

 getting into the way of taking their half-dried grass-seed to the 

 kiln to be dried. Whether it gets a roasting or a gentle heating 

 merely sufficient for the purpose is, as business is now conducted, 

 a matter of no great importance either to the kiln-owner or his 

 customer. It may be sold as good seed, or, if found out, will, at 

 least, do for " trio." But if " trio " were abolished, and trials were 



