1868. 



NEW ENGLAND F.IRMER. 



209 



SOTV AND PIiAWT GOOD SEEDS. 



>f.E of the vexatious ex- 

 periences of the farmer 

 is in the use of seeds 

 which he supposed were 

 good, but which never 

 come up. This is not 

 only vexatious, but in 

 some cases involves a 

 heavy bill of cost, as in 

 the case of seeding land 

 to grass. After all the 

 "^Sr^A '^^A labor of harrowing, lev- 

 eling, sowing the seed, 

 working it under and 

 rolling, the work is to 

 be gone through with a second time, and a new 

 cost incurred for Diore seed. In addition to 

 this, the prime season for the germination of 

 seeds, and early growth of the plants, has 

 passed away, so that the crop is sickly and 

 lean through the entire season. The whole 

 crop, indeed, may be affected through two or 

 or three seasons from the want of a heavy and 

 vigorous start. 



Thus the want of success in this operation, 

 and the necessity of going over it again, occu- 

 pies the time of men and teams that ought to 

 have been devoted to other crops, — so that un- 

 less extra labor is brought in, the business of 

 the farm is deranged throughout the season. 

 In such cases, hurry and discomfort are intro- 

 duced, where thrift and order usually prevail ; 

 these penetrate the inmost recesses of the fam- 

 ily, and give it a tone of disquiet which is all 

 unlike its common character. All this may 

 spring from a want of good seed. The old 

 adage is proved in the result : ' 'For want of a 

 nail the shoe was lost ; for want of a shoe the 

 horse was lost ; for want of a horse the rider 

 was lost!" "Behold! how great a matter a 

 little fire kindleth." So it runs through all the 

 business of life. One little act of treachery 

 involves the city in ruins, and the loss of many 

 lives. One little piece of rascality in selling 

 seeds that are known to be bad, results not 

 only in the loss of crops to a great extent, but 

 to unhapplness, — perhaps ruln.,^— In many up- 

 right and worthy families. 



There should be inspectors of seeds, as well 

 as inspectors. of flour and steamboat boilers, 

 — and any Infraction of law in relation to seeds 

 should by punished promptly and severely. | 



Line upon line, and precept upon precept, 

 has been given to farmers upon the importance 

 of using good seeds, but the losses continue 

 as great as ever. The surest way to secure 

 those that are good, is for the farmer to raise 

 them himself. It is much more easy to do so 

 than most farmers think It Is. For garden 

 purposes, two or three beets, parsnips, car- 

 rots, onions, turnips, &c., &c., are all that are 

 necessary to secure an abundance of good 

 seed. 



For field use. Increase the number, but tend 

 with equal care. Even grass seeds may be 

 saved with little extra labor, when once the 

 farmer becomes acquainted with the best man- 

 ner of taking care of the crop and of harvest- 

 ing the seed. 



Machines are common now for the latter 

 work, which accomplish It lapldly and per- 

 fectly — and a single machine would accommo- 

 date a whole neighborhood. The cost of grass 

 seeds to our farmers may seem small In single 

 Instances, but In the aggregate it swells to an 

 Imposing sum. 



There were 35,601 farms in the State of 

 Massachusetts In 1860. The average cost of 

 grass seed cannot be less than six dollars to 

 each farm, — it would probably be double that 

 sum, — but that amount would make a total of 

 $213,006 annually ! A very large po«tion of 

 this seed Is produced beyond the limits of New 

 England. 



The whole number of farms In the New 

 England States In 1860, was 183,942. At six 

 dollars for each farm, the total would be 

 $1,103,652 annually, for grass seed! It is 

 believed that nine-tenths of this seed may be 

 produced by the farmers themselves, and at a 

 very trifling cost. Look at the immense la- 

 bor, and the untold exchanges which the pro- 

 ducts of the farmer must pass through, in or- 

 der to raise the money and pay it out for this 

 grass seed. 



As a general rule, the farmer handles little 

 money, compared with many other classes. It 

 should therefore be his object to produce, within 

 his own labors, everything that can be eco- 

 nomically produced, so as to devote his money 

 to the payment of taxes, purchase of ma- 

 chinery, clothing, furniture, and such other 

 articles for consumption or use as he cannot 

 produce from his soil or manufacture for him- 



