IMPEOVED STRAINS OF GRASSES 77 



seed controlled or judged, are now looking to these State Com- 

 petitions as an indispensable aid to honest and genuine trade. 

 These competitions have done away not only with the bad seed, 

 but also with the dishonest and the ignorant seed merchants, 

 and with them have disappeared the florid advertisements of 

 indifferent strains with high-sounding names. The questions 

 have been narrowed down to these : Which strain of roots 

 gives the greatest yield of food-stuff or solids per acre ? 

 Which strain of grass produces the largest quantity of hay per 

 acre ? 



This having been accomplished the next step was to ensure 

 that the buyer received seed of the strain which he demanded. 

 How this has been done and how a most remarkable reform has 

 been brought about in the seed trade will be set forth in the last 

 chapter. 



