34 



{Meadow Fescue), experience has proved, that the latter not only 

 do produce a greater quantity of grass, but also are by far stronger 

 in maintaining their presence in the field, not being so easily 

 crowded out by other varieties or damaged by severe winter-weather. 



The main thing that can be said against the collected produce 

 is this, that certain varieties do often contain a greater or smaller 

 proportion of species, though equally valuable, of an other deno- 

 mination and in certain cases of lighter or immature seeds. 



As regards the former we would say, that as long as the fore^ign 

 seeds are good varieties, there is nothing against their presence 

 in the bulk. It is simply the business of the seedsman here to 

 take this involuntary admixture into account when composing his 

 mixtures. And so far as the lighter seeds are concerned, it is our 

 opinion, that the quantity of grass-seed sown per acre by the 

 average farmer, is as a rule quite large enough to allow for a 

 certain percentage of lighter, or immature seeds in the bulk not 

 to produce plants, without doing any harm to the thickness of 

 the turf. 



If, therefore, there are certain advantages attached to the seeds 

 grown as a crop, advantages especially of "quality", there is on 

 the other hand much to be said in favour of the collected seeds, 

 the main thing of which is, that they can be procured at a far 

 cheaper price, the cost of production being much lower. Here no 

 landrent to be paid for the purpose of the seed-saving; here no 

 buying of dear genuine, pure stock-seed; here no intense and 

 costly labour for making the land in proper condition and keeping 

 the field clean when in spring te grasses are about to develop; 

 here, finally, no risk of seeing all this output in money and labour 

 done in vain by a failure, wholly or in part, of the crop. But here 

 a seed-crop will be saved, if at the time of harvest, it is proved 

 that in fact there is a seed-crop present on the field. If not, whatever 

 is actually on the land in question can be used for hay-making 

 or grazing purposes. 



All this will make it clear to the reader, that and why collected 

 seeds can very often be sold at a price half or even less than 

 that quoted for th:; other. And where it is a fact, that in certain 

 regions farmers are very little inclined to pay a good, satisfactory 

 price for agricultural seeds, especially in the case where it con- 

 cerns to create "grass-land only", these cheaper qualities come in 

 most handy to the seedsman to compose that mixture which the 

 farmer wants to order at the price he is inclined to pay. 



