Seeds of the Finest Quality. 93 



eminent seedsmen in England, The local seedsman 

 knew that the comparison was to be made, and, no doubt, 

 did his best, and there was no reason to complain of the 

 germination or trueness of his seed, but the difference 

 in the result was most marked, and the cattle declined 

 to eat his plants so decidedly that one would imagine 

 they had been fenced off the field. It was interesting 

 to observe how exactly the cattle had stopped grazing 

 at the exact spot where the rival seedsmen met, and 

 eventually I had to send a boy to herd the cattle on to 

 the acres which had been allotted to the local seedsman, 

 and though the field (it was sown in 1884) is now (1898) 

 grazed evenly over without compulsion there is still a 

 superiority apparent in favour of the superior seed. In 

 1903 I enclosed two plots of 18 feet square in each 

 seedsman's portion of the field, and, after letting the 

 grass grow as if for a hay crop, had it cut and taken 

 direct to the weighing machine. The result showed a 

 difference of 17 per cent, in favour of Mr. Hunter's por- 

 tion. The trial was repeated in 1904, when it was fouhd 

 that there was a difference of 13 per cent, only in favour 

 of Mr. Hunter's portion. The aftermath of Mr. Hunter's 

 plot showed in 1904 a marked superiority to that of 

 his rival, and in 1905 the superiority of Mr. Hunter's 

 plot was still more marked. From these facts it seems 

 obvious that, in the case of laying down land to per- 

 manent pasture, great care should be taken to provide 

 the very finest seeds. 



Another difference also attracted my attention as 

 regards crested dogstail. It is well known that stock 

 reject the wiry flowering stems of this grass, but I was 

 struck with the fact that the stems of seed supplied 

 to me by Mr. James Hunter of Chester had a much 

 softer and more succulent appearance, and on enquiry 

 was told by my shepherd that these were eaten by 

 sheep, though the stems of the wild dogstail plant are 

 rejected. On referring this point to Mr. Hunter, he 

 informs me that the seed which he sells of this plant is 



