140 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



land and sold it. It so happened that some of the men 

 thought perhaps it wasn't good seed, and they got into more 

 or less of a discussion over the question of clover seed. 

 Some claimed they better get seed irom Boston dealers for 

 comparison ; and it was left to me, as a sort of go-ljetween, 

 to find out its value. I had occasion to go down to Boston 

 and look into some of the seed questions, particularly in 

 regard to clover, and I found to my surprise that the clover 

 seed sold tliroughout our State vy'^as for the most part of a 

 poor quality of seed. The seed men themselves in Boston 

 recognized that fact, and are not to blame for it. On the 

 other hand, there are men who are buying it and who are 

 asking for a second-o-rade seed, and thev are not to l)lame 

 for it. Following it down further, I find people are look- 

 ing for a bargain in clover seed. If a man can buy clover 

 seed 25 cents cheaper than the best seed, he huys that be- 

 cause he thinks he is saving something. I thoroughly believe 

 that any man who is going to seed down 10 acres, or per- 

 haps 5, will find it pays to take a trip into Boston, or to the 

 market where he is to get the clover seed, and look the vari- 

 ous kinds over and buy the very best. You can go into a 

 large seed concern in Boston, and find that a certain clover 

 seed has a certain per cent of germinating power, one 9 per 

 cent, another 50 per cent, another 20 per cent, and so on. 

 If a man sends in, asking for a certain seed, they look up 

 what sort of a dealer there is in that section, and what the 

 farmers in that section want to buy, and send that kind of 

 seed. 1 believe where a man harrows a piece of land and 

 gets it in the best of condition, if the crop fails, the reason 

 may be entirely witli the clover seed itself. If I were in 

 farming, after doing all the preliminary work that is re- 

 quired, I would go to Boston and look over the clover seed, 

 and get the very best seed and sow it, and I will guarantee 

 any one who does that will get more than he is getting to- 

 day. I think the reason for clover not doing well in many 

 cases throughout New England is largely that the farmers 

 themselves use cheap seed. It isn't practical. It is a big, 

 economic problem. When we commence to pinch on the 

 seed, we are beginning in the wrong place. 



