ELEVENTH ANNUAL YEAE BOOK— PART XI 711 



during the day. There he can stretch out on the straw and rest in 

 content. At night the mare and foal may be turned to pasture. Even 

 if the mare and foal are to be left at pasture all the time, they should 

 be seen every day so that any accident may be speedily remedied. The 

 young feet should be watched and rasped level if the natural wear does 

 not keep them so. The toes frequently grow too long, and this ruins 

 the shape and position of the bones of the pastern as well as inducing 

 low heels. The toes should be kept reasonably short. 



The occasional handling that a foal must have in the process of ordi- 

 nary attention to its needs gradually accustoms it to the hand of man. 

 One of the first things that it should learn is that a man is its master 

 and friend. The foal that is early fitted with a halter and taught to 

 walk along willingly beside its leader, to stand squarely and still to 

 be photographed or admired, to mind simple commands when they are 

 given, to eat out of the hand, to appreciate a caress, is learning the 

 great lesson that man is a trustworthy companion. Horses are naturally 

 intelligent, and it pays to begin while they are young to teach the fun- 

 damental principles on which their usefulness depends. 



E. T. R. 



TESTING FARM SEEDS IN THE HOME AND IN THE RURAL SCHOOL. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Progressive farmers who recognize the importance of better and more 

 profitable crop production are becoming convinced that the quality of 

 the seed used is worthy of careful attention. 



The results of seed tests made at the Department of Agriculture and 

 at the state experiment stations show that certain kinds of farm seeds 

 in which there is an active trade and a strong competition are often 

 seriously adulterated, the effect being that the farmer buying such seed 

 gains a disappointing experience instead of a satisfactory crop. Again, 

 the seed of certain farm crops is often mixed with seed of especially 

 noxious weeds, necessitating labor and expense in preventing permanent 

 injury to the farm. Seed may have a low germinating power due to age 

 or to unfavorable conditions of development or of harvesting. Seed 

 of clovers and of alfalfa found on the market sometimes comes from for- 

 eign regions possessing a less rigorous climate than that under which 

 the seed would be grown in this country. For this reason such seed 

 is undesirable. These results of tests made in the laboratory are fully 

 corroborated by the experiences of farmers engaged in growing crops. 



The popular agitation within recent years in the interest of better 

 seed has brought about some change in trade conditions, but much 

 room for improvement still remains. While a few states now have laws 

 pertaining to poor seed, there is no federal law preventing the importa- 

 tion of poor seed or its distribution by interstate traffic. In consequence 



