FAILURE OF GRASS-SEEDS. 149 



crop of grass, while at the same time you may sow other 

 grass-seed in that soil, and scarcely any of it will germinate. 

 The difference is in the character of the grass and in the con- 

 dition of the soil. Now, as has been well said, if you sow a 

 crop of clover, you bring from the subsoil the nitrogenous 

 substances that you need to improve your land; so that 

 although clover might be considered an exhausting crop, yet 

 the facts of the case show that it is an invigorating crop. 



Mr. Si\nTH of Northampton. Mr. Flint spoke of the 

 failure of grass-seeds. I think that here in New England 

 we do not understand one great cause of the failure of grass- 

 seeds. The Timothy that is raised at the West in such large 

 quantities is reaped, bound, and stacked, and, in many in- 

 stances, remains in the stack for some considerable period. 

 Many times it heats in the stack to such an extent, that the 

 vitality of the seed is destroyed. It does not hurt the looks 

 of the seed, and people buy it just as readily as the best of 

 seed. I saw, but a few weeks ago, large stacks that were 

 cut in 1876. The seed was not threshed out that season, 

 because the price was low; and the farmers let the stacks 

 stand over. I think the seed will be just as good the second 

 or third year as the first, if it can be kept perfectly dry ; but 

 a large portion of that which is stacked must be damaged 

 more or less by the rains. When stacked, it cannot be all 

 protected ; and if it heats, as it does frequently (being carted 

 when the dew is on, or when it is in a damp condition), it 

 heats enough to injure the seed : hence there are thousands 

 of pounds of seed in the market that never will grow. The 

 only way I can judge whether it has been injured or not is 

 by the color. It looks plump and round as ever ; but, if it is 

 pretty brown, I take it for granted that it has been pretty 

 well weather-beaten, or that it has been heated in the mow 

 or stack. Clover-seed I have kept for a number of years. 

 I used to raise and clean clover-seed enough for my own use, 

 and have some for market. I put it away in barrels, in a 

 dry place, and kept it for tlu-ee or four years ; and I never 

 could see any difference in the growth of those seeds as 

 compared with other seeds. 



Speaking of oats, and seeding after oats : the greatest 

 trouble I have in spring seeding after oats is, that my land 

 is too good. My oats lodge, so that they kill out one-half 



