EUROPEAN OBJECTIONS TO AMERICAN SEED. 11 



DOMESTIC VERSUS FOREIGN SEED. 



The opinion has hitlierto ])revailed that the use of red clover seed 

 from European sources would prove unsatisfactory and ini]>rolital)le 

 in this country, both from a liay and seed producing standpoint. 

 This conchision no doubt apphcs correctly to the majority of Euro- 

 pean varieties of red clover, particidarly those from Italy, France, 

 and some parts of Gennany, which appear to be altogether imsuited 

 to the soil and climatic conditions of the clover-growing area of the 

 United States. 



The term ''European clover seed" as used in the United States is a 

 very loose inclusive one applied indiscriminately to all seed imported 

 into this country from European ports. It inchules not only .seed 

 grown in Europe, but also seed from South America, Canada, and 

 the United States itself, the seed having been exported in years when 

 the crop was large and prices consecjuently low only to be shipped 

 back again to this country in years when the balance of supply and 

 demand had shifted in the o])posite direction. Inasnmch as red 

 clover is grown to a large extent in almost all the countries of Europe 

 and quite careful distinctions are nuide there between seed from a 

 number of sources, the general designation of "European clover 

 seed" hitherto used in this country appears altogether unwarranted 

 and misleading. The same erroneous classification of American red 

 clover seed is current in Europe, no distinction being nnide whether 

 from New York, Tennessee, or Oregon. The following are some of 

 the numerous regional varieties commercially well recognized in 

 Europe: Steiermark, English, Bohemian, Russian, Danish, Swedish, 

 and French. Some of these are again divided into early and late 

 varieties; for example, Early Russian and Late Russian. 



OBJECTIONS OF EUROPEAN GROWERS TO AMERICAN RED 



CLOVER. 



One of the most frequent complaints made by European growers 

 against American clover seed is on account of the dustiness of the hay 

 produced from this seed. This dustiness is due almost wholly to the 

 hairiness of the plant. That there is a great difference in this respect 

 between the hairy domestic and smooth foreign tj^pes is strikingly 

 shown in Plate II, figs. 1 and 2. The hairy form of plant shown was 

 produced from American commercial seed, while the smooth one is a 

 promising Russian clover from the government of Orel, designated 

 as No. 16. This difference in hairiness is accompanied by other 

 distinctions, the most important of which from an economic stand- 

 point is the much greater succulence of the smooth plants and the 

 consequently finer quality of the hay, the loss due to coarse, woody, 

 uneatable stems being reduced to almost nothing. 



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