Duration of Vitality in Farm Seeds. 
257 
Samples of seeds of mangel, turnip, chicory, yarrow, and 
other plants were examined. Among these was a sample of 
broccoli called “ Late Queen,” which was supplied to a member 
on conditions specified in the tender, including a guarantee of 
purity and germination. The sample did not contain a single 
living seed. Duplicate tests were made which showed that 
it was entirely dead seed. Externally there was nothing to 
indicate that the seed was not living. The changes that affect 
the life of the seed take place within the seed coat, and the 
vitality of the seed can only be determined when it is tested 
for germination. The grower can easily determine whether 
the seed is still living by placing some seeds between the folds 
of wet blotting paper put on a dinner plate and covered by 
a small bowl, care being taken to place this in a moderately 
warm room and to prevent the paper being dried up. A few 
days will show if the sample consists of live seed. 
Among the grass seeds examined this year was one labelled 
“golden oat grass” ( Avena flavescens Linn.), which consisted 
entirely of the seeds of wavy hair grass (Airci flexuosa Linn.). 
The seed of this worthless grass is sometimes sold for golden 
oat grass, but only the most careless or ignorant seedsman can 
be imposed upon by this substitution. The hair grass may be 
used on poor heath land in mountain districts, but in good 
pastures it is only a weed. 
Two samples of oats were submitted as to their value for 
feeding purposes. They consisted of small but well-ripened 
grains, and were free from damp or any unpleasant odour, 
which might cause their rejection by stock. One of the 
samples was condemned on account of the presence of seeds 
of corncockle ( Lychnis Githago Linn.), which when present 
in any quantity is injurious to chickens and stock. 
Duration of Vitality in Farm Seeds. 
The obvious importance to the farmer of using only live 
seed, and at the same time the serious loss to the merchant if 
the surplus stock of his seed at the end of the season were 
condemned as worthless, suggested twelve years ago, a series 
of experiments to determine how many years the various 
seeds generally used by the farmer retained their vitality 
under favourable conditions. Thirty-five kinds were obtained 
from the harvest of 1895, and a sufficient number of these 
seeds have in the spring of each year since been tested. The 
trials have been carried on for eleven years, and though it 
may be two or three years before they are finished, yet the 
results already obtained are important and instructive. For 
the purpose of bringing these results before the members 
of the Society, Mr. Giissow prepared a large diagram which 
YOL. 67. S 
