l^ARM 'seeds': general 6iS 



on the wrong side of the balance sheet at the end of the 

 year. 



' The best seed obtainable is never too good,' is a maxim 

 which should always be uppermost in the mind when sowing 

 is under consideration, and the danger of being penny-wise 

 and pound-foolish should be avoided. Cheap seed is not 

 necessarily bad, but it practically always is so, and the purchase 

 of undoubtedly good seed at a slightly higher price than ordinary 

 rates, is an extra expense which is always repaid in the improved 

 crop obtained. 



It must, however, be understood that high price is no guide 

 to certainty in the matter of obtaining good seed, and, by itself, 

 should have no place in determining the purchase of samples. 

 Although the quality of seeds in the market has undergone great 

 improvement during the last twenty years, good seed is still 

 always high in price, and will remain so on account of its 

 comparative scarcity. The temptation to purchase cheap 

 samples of doubtful character instead of those of unquestion- 

 ably high intrinsic value at a higher figure, is a very common 

 one, and requires the most careful consideration. 



There are many points to consider in the determination of the 

 quality of seeds, and it is to these that we now turn our attention. 



In some cases a rough estimate of the value of a seed may be 

 obtained by an examination of its shape, colour, and smell, but 

 although features of this class are always to be carefully noted, 

 in themselves they are quite insufficient to determine the useful- 

 ness of a given sample. This method of examination, namely, 

 the observance of various external characters of the seed, is the 

 one most frequently employed by the farmer, but only in certain 

 special cases where he has had large experience and constant use 

 of the seed, and especially if his experience has been gained 

 during frequent cultivation of the crop for seed, is this method 

 at all efficient. It is, however, never by itself completely satis- 

 factory, and may often lead to serious mistakes. With an 



