CHAPTER VI._Science and Practice in Farm Cultivation

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._

+---+-------------------------------------+---------+------+---------+

+---+-------------------------------------+---------+------+---------+

| 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._

+---+-------------------------------------+---------+------+---------+

+---+-------------------------------------+---------+------+---------+

| 1 | Norfolk Green round | 76 | 9 |} |

| 2 | White Globe | 78 | 15 |} |

| 3 | Early Grey-topped Stone | 80 | 10 |} |

| 4 | Red Tankard, or Pudding | 62 | 11 |}Taken |

| 5 | Orange Jelly | 52 | 15 |}from the|

| 6 | Norfolk Round Red | 80 | 10 |}bags by |

| 7 | Purple-topped yellow Scotch | 76 | 11 |}the |

| 8 | White Dutch | 64 | 12 |}Author. |

| 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._

+---+-------------------------------------+---------+------+---------+

+---+-------------------------------------+---------+------+---------+

| 1 | Ashcroft’s improved Purple Top | 58 | 12 |} |

| 2 | New Bangholm | 96 | 10 |} |

| 3 | Skirving’s Liverpool | 62 | 16 |} |

| 4 | Green Top | 78 | 10 |}Taken |

| 5 | Marshall’s improved Purple Top | 90 | 10 |}from the|

| 6 | Hewer’s Improved White | 68 | 17 |}bags by |

| 7 | Green Major | 86 | 10 |}the |

| 8 | Skirving’s Swede (own grown) | 96 | 10 |}Author. |

| 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._

+---+-------------------------------------+---------+------+---------+

+---+-------------------------------------+---------+------+---------+

| 1 | Green Globe | 62 | 8 |} |

| 2 | Dale’s Hybrid | 84 | 4 |} |

| 3 | Red Globe | 90 | 6 |}Turnips |

| 4 | Orange Jelly | 100 | 4 |}from |

| 5 | White round, or Norfolk | 42 | 5 |}sample |

| 6 | Green Tankard | 50 | 6 |}papers |

| 7 | Scarisbrick (_sic_) | 88 | 11 |}communi-|

| 8 | White Globe | 74 | 4 |}cated. |

| 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._

+---+-------------------------------------+---------+------+---------+

+---+-------------------------------------+---------+------+---------+

| 1 | White Stone or Stubble | 46 | 6 |} |

| 2 | Red Tankard | 60 | 5 |}Swedes &|

| 3 | White Tankard | 60 | 4 |}Turnips |

| 4 | Yellow Tankard | 88 | 5 |}from |

| 5 | Green Top Yellow Scotch | 84 | 6 |}sample |

| 6 | Purple Top ditto | 62 | 8 |}papers |

| 7 | Tankard-shaped Swede | 74 | 7 |}communi-|

| 8 | White-fleshed ditto | 84 | 8 |}cated. |

| 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!