MEMBERS’  BOTANICAL  PRIVILEGES  {continued). 
THE  SAMPLING  OF  SEEDS. 
The  utmost  care  should  be  taken  to  secure  a fair  and  honest  sample.  This 
should  be  drawn  from  the  bulk  delivered  to  the  purchaser,  and  not  from  the 
sample  sent  by  the  vendor. 
When  legal  evidence  is  required,  the  sample  should  be  taken  from  the  bulk, 
and  placed  in  a sealed  bag  in  the  presence  of  a witness.  Care  should  be  taken 
that  the  sample  and  bulk  be  not  tampered  with  after  delivery,  or  mixed  or 
brought  in  contact  with  any  other  sample  or  bulk. 
At  least  one  ounce  of  grass  and  other  small  seeds  should  be  sent,  and  two 
ounces  of  cereals  and  the  larger  seeds.  When  the  bulk  is  obviously  impure, 
the  sample  should  be  at  least  double  the  amount  specified.  Grass  seeds  should 
be  sent  at  least  four  weeks,  and  seeds  of  clover  and  cereals  two  weeks  before 
they  are  to  be  used. 
The  exact  name  under  which  the  sample  has  been  sold  and  analysed 
should  accompany  it. 
REPORTING  THE  RESULTS. 
The  Eeport  will  be  made  on  a schedule  in  which  the  nature  and  amount  of 
impurities  will  be  stated,  and  the  number  of  days  each  sample  has  been  under 
test,  with  the  percentage  of  the  seeds  which  have  germinated. 
“ Hard  ” clover  seeds,  though  not  germinating  within  the  time  stated,  will 
be  considered  good  seeds,  and  their  percentage  separately  stated. 
The  impurities  in  the  sample,  including  the  chaff  of  the  species  tested,  will 
be  specified  in  the  schedule,  and  only  the  percentage  of  the  pure  seed  of  that 
species  will  be  reported  upon ; but  the  REAL  value  of  the  sample  will  be 
stated.  The  Real  Value  is  the  combined  percentages  of  purity  and  germina- 
tion, and  is  obtained  by  multiplying  these  percentages  and  dividing  by  100  ; 
thus  in  a sample  of  Meadow  Fescue  having  88  per  cent,  purity  and  95  per  cent, 
germination,  88  multiplied  by  95  gives  8,360,  and  this  divided  by  100  gives  83‘6, 
the  Real  Value. 
SELECTING  SPECIMENS  OF  PLANTS. 
When  a specimen  is  sent  for  determination,  the  whole  plant  should  be 
taken  up  and  the  earth  shaken  from  the  roots.  If  possible,  the  plants  must  be 
in  flower  or  fruit.  They  should  be  packed  in  a light  box,  or  in  a firm 
paper  parcel. 
Specimens  of  diseased  plants  or  of  parasites  should  be  forwarded  as  fresh  as 
possible.  They  should  be  placed  in  a bottle,  or  packed  in  tinfoil  or  oil-silk. 
All  specimens  should  be  accompanied  with  a letter  specifying  the  nature  of 
the  information  required,  and  stating  any  local  circumstances  (soil,  situation, 
&c.)  which,  in  the  opinion  of  the  sender,  would  be  likely  to  throw  light  on  the 
inquiry. 
PARCELS  OR  LETTERS  CONTAINING  SEEDS  OR  PLANTS  FOR 
EXAMINATION  MUST  BE  ADDRESSED  (CARRIAGE  OR  POSTAGE 
PREPAID)  TO— 
PROFESSOR  R.  H.  BIFFEN,  M.A. 
School  of  Agriculture,  Cambridge. 
VIII 
