§ Mr. FFRENCHasked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland), whether the Department has made any experiments with regard to the vitality of seeds, if so, whether it is shown that the seeds lose their germinating 1987W power to any considerable extent in the second year, and in what proportion, annually, they lose their germinating power afterwards until they have lost that power altogether; and how many years old are they when their germinating powers cease?
§ Mr. RUSSELLThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. Good seed, which has been suitably stored, will not usually depreciate seriously until after the first, and sometimes second year, after which germinating capacity rapidly decreases. As the rate at which seeds lose their germinating power depends on their variety and quality at the outset, as well as on the condition of storage, it is not possible to give exact figures as regards depreciation. The value for agricultural purposes of seed which has been stored for a length of time is practically lost many years before germinating capacity ceases entirely.