Chapter 7 ON THE ADULTERATION OF SEEDS, MORE PARTICULARLY OF TURNIPS.

In order to make the experiments which illustrate this chapter tell their tale to the fullest extent, we would set out with the two following postulates:-

1st. All well-grown, well-preserved new seeds should be capable of germinating to the extent of at least 90 per cent.

2nd. Seeds in general, and more especially turnip seeds, as usually delivered to the farmer, are generally incapable of germinating to the extent of from 25 to 30 per cent., and very frequently even more.

We shall hereafter see, that this want of germinating power is too often the result of mixing charlock, Indian rape, and the like, by way of adulteration, which latter are killed to prevent "their telling tales." But to our experiments:-

A number of tin cases were made of the following proportions: Length, 15 inches; width, 10 inches; depth, 4 inches. These, which were well perforated at the bottom, were divided across into ten equal parts, each of which was filled to within an inch of the rim, with a mixture of fine mould and silver sand. In these, seeds of different sorts of turnips were sown, and the whole was put into a bed of sand in our forcing-house. We could, however, see no difference in the results, nor could we trace any in the germinal or cotyledon leaves of swedes, turnips, or charlock. But, of course, samples of turnip-seed could not be tested as to freedom from charlock by this experiment, because charlock is killed before being mixed with the turnip.

Now, seeing that we could get no trustworthy results by this kind of experiment, it struck us that our germination-pans might be used to test the germinating power, not only of the samples we had obtained for a different purpose, but of others also. We first, then, counted a hundred of each of the following sorts of seeds, and carefully dibbled them in a fresh mixture of soil, in September, 1860; the results, which were as carefully noted from day to day, are shortly given in the following table:-

Table 1. Germination of Ten Sorts of Turnips.

No. Name, Copy of Label. Came up

per cent. No. of

Days.

1 Mousetail, 1859 96 10

2 Pomeranian, or White Globe, 1859 86 11

3 Nimble Green Round, 1859 96 7

4 Lincolnshire new Red Globe, 1860 90 9

5 Yellow Tankard, 1859 92 9

6 Smart's Mousetail, 1860 98 7

7 Green-topped Stone, 1860 84 8

8 Sutton's Imperial Green Globe, 1860 98 9

9 Green-topped Scotch, 1860 90 9

10 Early Six-weeks, 1860 90 10

Came up = 92

Failed = 8

We would remark upon these results, that the temperature of the house was kept at between 60° and 70°, and the greater part of the seeds came up in four days; the numbers for the days, then, have reference to the time occupied before all that would germinate came up. Now this table is not a little instructive, as showing that samples of turnip-seed can be got in which only a very few of the seeds fail to germinate; but as experience had taught us that these samples by no means represented the usual market condition of turnip-seeds, in order to test this we begged to be allowed permission to take samples direct from the bags of a retail seedsman as they were exposed in his shop, and the following results will speak for themselves.

It should, however, be here premised that the samples were not grown by the seedsman, but were said to be just as received from the wholesale dealers.

Table 2.-Germination of Ten Sorts of Turnip Seeds from Market Samples.

No. Copy of Label. Came up

per cent. No. of

Days.

1 Norfolk Green round 76 9 - Taken from the bags by the Author.

2 White Globe 78 15

3 Early Grey-topped Stone 80 10

4 Red Tankard, or Pudding 62 11

5 Orange Jelly 52 15

6 Norfolk Round Red 80 10

7 Purple-topped yellow Scotch 76 11

8 White Dutch 64 12

9 Early Green top 64 13

10 Yellow Tankard Pudding 48 12

Came up = 68

Failed = 32

Eight samples of swedes from the same source are in the next table associated with a sample of Skirving's swede, grown in our own garden (8), of the following table, and another of turnip (9), grown on a neighbouring farm. We may remark upon the last-named sample, that we had observed the growth of this seed, which was from a very poor crop, half of which had decayed on the ground with the early frost of 1860, and the rest, without transplanting or selection of any kind, was allowed to seed. Now, as this whole crop was so degenerated that it ought never to have been seeded at all, we were anxious to get some of the seed from the bulk, in order to test from its growth this year whether it will not bring forth a degenerate progeny. Its germinating qualities will be seen from the table, and yet it is by no means the worst sample, which seems to show that the others are not naturally bad, but so by mixture.

Table 3.-Germination of Swedes, &c., from Market Samples, &c.

No. Copy of Label. Came up

per cent. No. of

Days.

1 Ashcroft's improved Purple Top 58 12 - Taken from the bags by the Author.

2 New Bangholm 96 10

3 Skirving's Liverpool 62 16

4 Green Top 78 10

5 Marshall's improved Purple Top 90 10

6 Hewer's Improved White 68 17

7 Green Major 86 10

8 Skirving's Swede (own grown) 96 10

9 Green Top Turnip, neighbour's farm 78 6

10 Fosterton Hybrid Turnip 64 10

Came up = 77 ·6

Failed = 22 ·4

Failed of seedsman's specimens = 24 ·8

Now, as "0 0 0" seed is supplied to customers under the designation here given, for the purpose of mixing, it is of little consequence whether it be used by the wholesale house or the retail dealer; if, however, it be employed by both, we should, indeed, get a bad sample.

As regards the seedsman's samples in the Tables 2 and 3, we are quite unable to give exact details of their history, but we have reason to believe that the stock whence they were taken was purchased in the ordinary course of business from different "wholesale houses," as, though the tradesman whence the samples came combines the business of "nurseryman" with that of seedsman, we happen to know that he is not a grower of seeds, at least of turnip seeds. The average, then, of eighteen samples of turnips and swedes from this source is that 28 per cent. are non-germinating seeds. The next samples are from people in a large way of business, who are not mere retailers, but to whom we must accord all the immunities of the trade as seed-growers, wholesale and retail seed-merchants, &c.

Before giving the tables with the results as regards these samples, it is necessary to state that they were not sent to us direct, but were forwarded through a farmer to whom they were sent in the ordinary small packet samples.

We would further remark, that as all that would germinate took so few days about it, being an average of six days, whilst those of Table 1, being seeds partly of 1859 and partly of 1860, occupied nine days, and those of Table 2, whose date we do not know, eleven days; in all probability the seeds in question were tolerably new, most probably of the last seed season.

Table 4.-Germination of Ten Samples of Turnips.

No. Copy of Label. Came up

per cent. No. of

Days.

1 Green Globe 62 8 - Turnips from sample papers communicated.

2 Dale's Hybrid 84 4

3 Red Globe 90 6

4 Orange Jelly 100 4

5 White round, or Norfolk 42 5

6 Green Tankard 50 6

7 Scarisbrick (sic) 88 11

8 White Globe 74 4

9 Golden Yellow 82 4

10 Green round 30 6

Came up = 70 ·2

Failed = 29 ·8

The specimens in next table were obtained in like manner as those of Table 4.

Table 5.-Germination of Samples of Common and Swede Turnips.

No. Copy of Label. Came up

per cent. No. of

Days.

1 White Stone or Stubble 46 6 - Swedes and Turnips from sample papers communicated.

2 Red Tankard 60 5

3 White Tankard 60 4

4 Yellow Tankard 88 5

5 Green Top Yellow Scotch 84 6

6 Purple Top ditto 62 8

7 Tankard-shaped Swede 74 7

8 White-fleshed ditto 84 8

9 Skirving's Improved Purple Top ditto 64 8

10 Lawhead Green Top 80 7

Came up = 70 ·2

Failed = 29 ·8

Of these samples we see that within a fraction of 30 per cent. is the average of non-germinating seeds, and this is only so low on account of two or three unusually good samples, the general range being from 20 to 30 per cent. of non-germinating seeds for the last twenty samples.

If we compare No. 5, Table 2, with No. 4, Table 4, we see a difference in the Orange Jelly Turnip; in the former little more than half came up, in the latter every seed. This is of importance, as showing what genuine seed may be, the latter being doubtless as unmixed as the former was mixed.

Now as regards the charge of mixing, we are not going to make it without some evidence. In looking over the tables we have now given, it will be seen that genuine seed has but a small per-centage of non-germinating seeds-say from 5 to 10 per cent.; but not only the examples herein referred to, with hosts of separate ones which have fallen under our notice, show a general amount of dead seeds, of from 20 to 30 per cent. For these figures compare Table 1 with Tables 2, 3, 4, and 5. In those of the first lot the samples were sent direct to us from a seedsman, and their behaviour shows us clearly enough that good seeds are to be obtained, but the other tables are as clear that from some seedsmen, at any rate, though inferior samples, they are as good as are actually sold.

That seeds are mixed we have, then, good internal evidence; but we are also in possession of facts more conclusive upon this important point, and we shall in this next chapter endeavour to enlighten our readers as to the art and mystery (especially) of turnip-seed adulteration.

Confining our present remarks to turnip seeds, we assert that if farmers will try the germinating powers from the bulk of the seed which may be sent to them, they will find pretty nearly one-third to be rubbish. It is of no use to try from samples, except in comparison with bulk; and if all the farmers of Great Britain did this, and would communicate the results, what an extraordinary tale would be unfolded, more especially if the evidence be completed by notes on the purity or otherwise of the crop grown from such seeds!

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