SEED CONTROL. 57 



ahead of his neighbors who are content to " make a living ; " 

 indeed, the time seems to be fast approaching in America when the 

 husbandman who does not apply brains as well as fertilizers to 

 his fields will not be able to make even a living. 



The listlessness which exists in some quarters at present must 

 give way to intensive application of the right sort. The trouble 

 is not that the agriculturist does not work hard enough, but that 

 in many cases his labors are misdirected and futile. Of wliat use 

 is it if a man works a piece of ground early and late, in season 

 and out, if he plants tares when he wants Avheat ? 



Some of the conditions for siiccessful crops are beyond the 

 control of the producer, but such conditions are being gradually 

 lessened. 



In the matter of good seed it would seem at first sight that 

 any one could obtain it by paying the price asked. Indeed, some 

 American seedsmen would have us believe that it is difficult in 

 this country to procure any other kind, — that all of tlie trashy 

 seed of which we read is sold in Europe. 



We wish to state at the outset that we have no grievance 

 whatever against American seedsmen as a class ; that the trade 

 numbers as honorable men as can be found in any profession ; and 

 our remarks at this time will apply only to the abuses of the 

 American seed trade, from the wholesaler down to the hardware 

 merchant or grocer in a country village, who sells his customers 

 old garden seeds that not even the trump of Gabriel could induce 

 to come up. 



It makes no difference to the farmer Avhether his seed comes 

 directly from the large dealer or from the village merchant, if it 

 does not germinate or turn out to be what he ordered. He does 

 not stop to quibble over the point made by a recent writer in an 

 American journal, that a man who sells bad seed is not a seedsman. 

 If this be true, Ave shall have to get new names for the butcher 

 who sells tainted meat and the grocer who adulterates his wares. 



After a careful study of this subject, including the testing of a 

 considerable quantity of seeds and conversation with some of our 

 prominent seedsmen, I am prepared to state without fear of suc- 

 cessful contradiction, Avhat any one may easily find out for him- 

 self, if he takes a little trouble, that there is an immense amount 

 of trashy and inferior seed sold in this country every year, and 

 we believe the time is fully ripe for the inauguration of seed con- 



