Report of the Consulting Botanist. 
709 
rid of " grub," as it can be with caterpillars, for the " leather- 
jacket-grubs " will bear being frozen stiff without being injured, 
and also will bear being under water of ordinary temperature 
for at least a couple of days and nights without being drowned. 
But thoroughly good cultivation, to put the land in such good 
heart as will send the crop growth well on, is of great service in 
case attack does occur, and will often save the need of special 
applications to press it on afterwards. 
The above treatment is equally serviceable for the prevention 
of wireworm, and dressings of lime, or gas-lime, have been re- 
ported as especially useful in preparing land to prevent attack 
of the turnip and cabbage-root maggot. 
XXVI. — Report of the Consulting Botanist. 
By W. Carruthbrs, F.R.S. 
July, 1884. 
The work of examining and testing seeds has considerably in- 
creased during the current year. Five hundred and forty-three 
samples have been, up to this time, submitted to me. In too 
many cases the seeds have been sent just before they are wanted 
to be sown, and the report of the germination has come too late 
to be of practical use. It is overlooked that the germination, 
while it is hastened by artificial appliances, is a matter of 
time, and that a report of the results would be untrustworthy 
if it were sent before the experiment had exhausted itself, 
would be unfair to the seedsman, and, moreover, of no value in a 
case of law. 
The general result of the examination of the seeds this year 
is, that there is a decided improvement in the quality of the 
seeds. Take, for example, the seeds of the meadow fescue. In 
1883, I found only 26 per cent, of the samples of this grass 
free from rye-grass. This year the percentage has risen to 70 ; 
and even the adulterated samples have less of the rye-grass intro- 
duced, for only 4 per cent, had over 50 per cent, of rye-grass 
this year, as compared with 16 per cent, last year. In the fox- 
tail a still more gratifying result has to be reported. Last year 
no less than 40 per cent, of the samples failed to reach the low 
standard adopted for this grass by the Council ; while this year 
I have not had before me a single sample that has not ger- 
minated more than 20 per cent., and nearly half of the samples 
have germinated more than 50 per cent. This fully justifies 
