ADULTERATION OF FARM AND GARDEN SEEDS.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2666, 23 October 1882, Page 3

ADULTERATION OF FARM AND GARDEN SEEDS.

FflW person*, except those intimately connected with the seed business, are aware of the enormous trade carried on in the prepation of spurious seeds to supply the demand for cheap seed. We desire to direct the attention of our agricultural and gardening friends to this important matter, particularly now that the time for sowing all kinds of root and forage crops is at hand. The seed trade in the colony is fast growing into an important one, and if agriculturists and others would only take steps to protect themselves against fraud they would prevent so nefarious a trade as that just referred to springing up and getting a footing in the colony. We do not for a moment wish to insinuate that our colonial seedsmen ore not in the habit of dealing fairly with their customers, but it is well known that very large parcels of " dootored ” seeds (particularly does this refer to clovers) are constantly shipped to the colonies, so that some one must purchase them—to his great loss and detriment. Reprehensible aa this practice is on the part of those who indulge n it, it must be admitted that farmers are not wholly blameless, inasmuch as they are too often influenced by the price per pound or per bushel, refusing to give apparently high flames for guaranteed seeds. As long as this is the case, so long will the 11 doctoring ” trade continue to flourish, land they will be the victims. While farmsrs are apathetic, they will be exposed to imposture. Happily the remedy—and indeed the only true one—is not difficult to find. If purchasers will only take the trouble to try all seeds they buy in a flower-pot or piece of damp flannel before sowing them in the open ground, by this means alone will they protect themselves against dealers who mix old, worthless seeds with the seeds they sell to their customers. The following extract from the “ Gardeners’ Chronicle ” will fully illustrate our subject: “ Everybody knows that after seeds have been kept a certain time they are incapable of growing. It is equally notorious that some seeds are not distinguishable by the eye, although they produce totally different plant*. No one, for instance, can tell the varieties of carrot, beet, turnip, cabbage, rape, ko., from each other by their seeds. Bed beet, for instance, worth 8s per lb, is not to be known by its seed from mangel wurzel, worth Is or Is 6d per lb ; or cauliflower, worth 2a 6d per ox, from cabbage seed, worth 6s per lb. These data furnish a clue to the mystery before us. A. sells his a* he bought it, but B. knows better. He perfectly understands the love of the public for what is cheap, and he complies with the popular taste and prepares a cheap article. Instead of acting like his honest competitor be buys for a shilling a pound of cabbage seed, which has either died a natural death, or been killed for the occasion. This is carefully mixed with the cauliflower seed, and makes as nice and clean a sample as can be desired. In this way be obtains 21b of seed for 17», instead of lib for 163, and in like manner ore turnip seeds “ treated,” with old and either dead or killed seeds, whereby 11b of genuine seed is made to do duty for IJlb or 21b. Wild mustard is frequently bought as rubbish for 2s 6d per bushel, being killed, it i* mixed with genuine turnip seed, and sold at 9i per lb.” Perhaps there is no farm seed which suffers more from the trioks of the trade than the clover, particularly the Dutch, in consequence of its prononess to perish, when it becomes to the experienced eye dull of color. Tons upon tons of this seed are annually 11 doctored,” the material used being an infusion of sulphur. This restores to the coating of the seed the bright yellow tinge which ttinguishes a fresh sample. Kilns are used for the purpose. The use of a pocket microscope will often reveal the fraud, ae the seeds will be found coated with particles of sulphur. The germinating test is, however, the most certain. Experiment has shown that two-year-old seed is much inferior to new seed, and that a third and fourth year kills neorly all. Twenty five per cent, of two-year-old seed was found to have perished, half of three-year-old, and of four-year-old only about 15 par cant, germinated, and only 6 per cent, of seeds over four year* old germinated. Rape, turnip, oats and wheat showed the greatest tenacity of life; carraway, parsnips, onions and cabbage the least. The growth of agricultural seeds in this colony has not yet received the attention it deserves. The late lamented Mr A. Duncan, alive to the importance of the question, established a seed farm, which would by fcbis time, had ho been spared, formed the nucleus of such an establishment as is attached to all the best houses in the seed trade in the old country, where the greatest care is exercised in the selection of the roots intended to stand for seed. During the growing season the plants are frequently inspected, and all those which show any disposition to retrograde are removed. Plants of the same family are not grown on the same farm, but at considerable distances apart, which lessen the danger of inoculation. The roots of carrots, turnips, parsnips, and mangolds are all selected with a view to symmetry rather than to weight. Our own farmers might do much in the way of supplying themselves with seeds of all kinds by selecting the best roots, and planting them in rows two feet apart and two feet root from root, taking care not to have turnips and cabbages, or two varieties of turnips in the same place, or indeed on any part of the farm. A few yards of cheap woollen netting would protect a large plot from the birds, which are very destructive to email seeds of all kinds. In the “Journal of the Chamber of Agrioul ture of Great Britain ” for May 22ad, 1882, is published an account of Messrs Sutton and Son’s great Bead establishment, which is well worth perusal. An important department of the premise* is the Seed Trial House, whore a sample from every parcel of seed received is carefully tested. A record is kept of the percentage of growth, and not a seed is allowed to go off the establishment unless it is shown that it will produce a good result in the hands of their customers. Ibis is the practice of all the largo and well known firms in Britain. Our object in penning this article is to put our readers on the alert, so that they too may not become the dupes of fraudulent seed vendors, sbould any such {gentry endeavour to establish themselves in 'our midst.