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!