TESTING SEEDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2914, 19 January 1910, Page 8

TESTING SEEDS.

In the Victorian Journal ot Agriculture is published a long table -giving the results of g more extended series of tests carried out with imported seeds obtained from the Customs authorities. In the intro-, duction by Professor A. J. Ewart, D.Sc., F.L.S., Government Botanist and Professor of Botany in the Melbourne University he says: The tests bear out the previous conclusion that many of the samples of seed reaching Victoria from abroad do not come up to the proper standard- either ?.n purity or in germination power. Thus, out- of 60 samples examined, no less than 40 were ■ below the standard generally accepted as j representing a good sample, and even if j we allowed for the fact that most of our I imported seeds come from distant couti- . tries, by reducing the standard germina- - tion by 5 per cent., no less than 26 samples are still below tho standard, and 1 of these- ! 12 are very seriously below it. Some of tho samples of Kentucky blue grass _and of ryegrass were particularly poor, while rnea- j -dow foxtail with 1 per cent, germination is useless, both to the seedsman and to the farmer. •Similarly, in regard to weeds, cauliflower seeds with 64 per cent, germination and 12 per cent, of weeds possibly represent the screenings from the seed .crop, andcrested dog’s tail with 33 per cent, of weed aoeds gives full scooc for adding to the rli-e-n weed l flora of Victoria. The data as yet obtained are insufficient to enable us to say much in regard to the influence of the origin of the seeds upon ■their germination power and capacity of standing transport. A few suggestive tacts are, however, to be noticed. Thus, iu tho case of fog grass, three New Z-sa- ; laud samples averaged 85 per cent, ge.rmi- , nation, whereas three samples:, probably of European origin, averaged 75 per cent., the average percentage of weed seeds being 10 and 7 respectively. It is surprising how much fog grass continues to be im- ’ ported, although this grass is little better than a weed, -and once intrcdiuocd tends to overrun batter pasture plants. In the case of ryegrass, the Tasmanian sample with 51 per cent, of weed seeds was one sent to Melbourne for cleaning. The samples from New Zealand' averaged 79 per cent, germination, whereas those of uncertain origin gave 86 per cent, germination. One of the best of these was, however, possibly derived from New Z:-aland. In, regard to weed seed-.?-, the New Zealand samples averaged 8 per cent-., the ethers 3 per cent., but on the other hand the purest and best sample of ryegrass (0.4 weed seeds, 93 germination) was a New Zealand) one, of which a large bulk was imported. The samples of lucerne were all pure,' and the American samples gave a better germination than the Hungarian and Hunter River samples. The latter contained), however, 16 per cent, of hard seeds, which explains the low percent ago germination. The Kentucky blue grass samples gave only low germination, the average being 35 per -cent, instead -of 75 per cent., and the best sample being the* American one, with 52 per cent. Fanning and dressing the sample before placing it on the market by removing the lighter infertile seeds would have increased the germination power without seriously diminishing ' the total weight of the seeds. It is worthy of note that in several cases where the Customs authorities have insisted upon consignments of seeds being cleaned, the increased price obtained for the cleaned seed has net only paid for the cost of cleaning, but has also left a fair margin of profit. This is only right, for a good clean sample of seed is worth two or three time® as much to a farmer as an impure one of low ■germinating power. In fact, -a very foul cample of seed is not worth accepting a,s a. gift, unless the farmer has the apparatus required to clean it, and. not always even then. The samples of white clover from Germany afford a good instance of how seed from the same country varies in regard to purity and germination power. These samples would bo bought and sold at much ■ tho same price, whereas sample 56, with 6 j per cent, weed seeds ?.nd 54 per cent, gei . ruination, is not half the value of Sample 55, with no wood seeds and 75 per cent, germination. The fact that all these German samples of white clover were considerably below the- standard is possibly the result. of bad packing or b.ad storage on shipboard, or mi Hit be clue to the seed i being somewhat old.

Most of the seed received in Victoria from Europe is harvested from July to October. Assuming that harvesting’, dressing, cleaning, marketing, and distributing fake two months, and adding a further.two to three months for the voyage to Victoria epd the delivery and distribution on this flio'e, the seed would reach the Victorian consumer at the earliest in the months from OSfownber to February—i.e.. either too late for the present season or from two to five morJJvs ’too early for the next. In other .avonjk, wo ran say that, whereas, on the syhole, European-grown seeds planted in ■owap» vii 11 have an interval of one to six menus between harvesting and replanting. Su ropean-grown seeds planted in Victoria ■will have usually an interval of six to 12 (months between harvesting and replanting. 3N"atinrally, during the whole of this time, (the seeds are deteriorating and diminishing in value, in some cases to a very marked -extent. This forms a powerful .argument an favour of Victoria growing its ..own supplies of seeds, or importing them, whore possible, from New Zealand in preference ibo Europe. It is, in fact, worth the attention of the Commonwealth Government as jto whether the production of locally-grown ifeeeds is not an industry worthy of enjoouragement. Under present conditions it would be a very serious matter indeed if, Sp war time, all the present supplies of seeds front outside Australia, were cut off, and there is no -seed grown outside Australia which could not also be grown within it. ijfuivat© enterprise, with a little oncourage'ihilent, would probably achieve all that is .gooeesaay, for the production of good, puns

seeds is a very profitable business, provided that the growing, harvesting, cleaning, and marketing are all in the same hands. A few valuable new strains or varieties of both cultivated and garden plants have already originated in Australia, but this is a somewhat uncertain form of commercial speculation. It would be sufficient for the present if a steady local supply of known varieties, pure and true to type, were assured.