The Romance of the Microscope by C. A. Ealand

Author:C. A. Ealand [Ealand, C. A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-07-30T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XIII

THE MICROSCOPE AND AGRICULTURE

Probably there are not many farmers who use a microscope and fewer still who use one to help them in their business, yet there are few people to whom one of these instruments would be more useful. Their seeds are often far from pure and the microscope will reveal the impurities which may consist of dirt and dust, or of other seeds, seeds which will grow into weeds and make the crop less valuable or, if present in large quantities, render it valueless. Agricultural plants become attacked by varied diseases which can only be studied under the microscope; insects also do their share of destruction and much may be learned about them when they are magnified. Fungi and insects not only attack crops but domestic animals as well. The microscope is an invaluable aid in studying the soil, in dairy work and in many other ways closely connected with agriculture.

That the testing of agricultural seeds is very important is shown by the fact that not very long ago a deputation urged the Government to establish a National Seed Testing Station; no further plans have been made, however. Seed testing is very interesting work, every seed has its particular shape and markings and the student soon becomes absorbed in seeking for weed seeds among the collections he examines. A weed in the sense we use it here is not necessarily a harmful plant, it is a plant in the wrong place. For example a carrot growing in a field of turnips, though a useful plant would be a weed. When the farmer sowed turnip seed he did not do so with the object of raising carrots.

The only apparatus necessary for the study of most farm seeds is a powerful magnifying glass, one that will enlarge the seeds ten diameters or more. When beginning this work, a difficulty occurs at once for, without assistance from an expert, it is by no means easy to learn the names of the seeds one examines. The difficulty can be overcome to a certain extent if we know the names of flowers, for then we can collect the seeds from these flowers and we shall have properly named specimens as a guide. Beginning in this way, we shall soon find that the seeds can be arranged in groups and there will then be no difficulty in recognising say clover seed or grass seed, though much more experience will be necessary before we can say to which kind of clover or grass the seed belongs.

Many of these seeds are well worth studying, whether we are interested in seed testing or not. The corn buttercup and the wild carrot have curious spined seeds; those of the larkspur when magnified appear to be studded with little shreds of paper. White and red campion, have kidney shaped seeds studded with warts and so similar to one another that the microscopist who can distinguish one from the other may consider himself something of an expert. Spurrey has lens shaped seeds with raised equator-like rims.

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