CHAPTER VIII. 



SELECTION; MIXTURE, AND SOWING, OF GRASS- 

 SEEDS. 



IN general, too little attention is paid to the selection 

 of seeds, not only of the grasses, but of other cultivated 

 plants. The farmer cannot be sure that he has good 

 seed unless he raises it for himself, or uses that raised 

 in his neighborhood. He too often takes that which 

 has passed through several hands, and whose origin he 

 cannot trace. Bad or old seed may thus be bought in 

 the belief that it is good and new, and the seller himself 

 may not know anything to the contrary. The buyer, 

 in such cases, often introduces weeds which are very 

 difficult to eradicate. 



The temptation to mix seeds left over from previous 

 years with newer seed is very great, and there can be 

 no doubt that it is often done on a large scale. In such 

 cases the buyer has no remedy. He cannot return the 

 worthless article, and the repayment of the purchase 

 money, even if he could enforce it, would be but poor 

 compensation for the loss of a crop. 



The seeds of some plants retain their vitality much 

 longer than others. Those of the turnip, for instance, 

 will germinate as well, or nearly as well, at the age of 

 four or five years, as when only one or two years old ; 

 they are thought to be better at two years old than one. 

 But the seeds of most of the grasses are of very little 

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