§8 PRACTICAL NOTES ON GRASSES AND GRASS GROWING. 
In selecting red clover greater judgment is required than in 
the selection of almost any other seeds; there are so many 
different strains, it is grown over so large an area, under such a 
variety of circumstances, and unless the buyer knows the 
locality from the samples offered to him he may find himself 
landed with seeds which are utterly unsuitable to the land for 
which they are required. 
Seeds imported from warm countries, as the South of 
France, Italy, America, and sometimes those from the West of 
England, are not to be recommended; whilst those from 
Holland, Belgium, parts of Germany, and Russia, are as hardy 
as the seeds grown in East Anglia, though often so full of 
weeds as to need an exceptional amount of care in cleaning. 
Undoubtedly the finest samples in the world are those 
produced in East Anglia. 
All samples of clover seed should be closely examined, in 
order to ascertain if they are free from weeds. Plantain 
(Plantago lanceolata) is one of the weeds from which red 
clover suffers most ; its seed is easily recognisable by its shape, 
which somewhat resembles a date stone. ‘Wild carrot” is 
another weed which must be remembered, its seed is covered 
over With innumerable little spikes ; if the simile is a good one, 
we would compare the seed kernel to a minute hedgehog when 
curled up. When the seeds have been extracted from the 
pod, neither of the weeds we have above referred to can easily 
be separated from the clover, but if handled beforehand they 
can be taken from the bulk by the assistance of a windle and a 
coarse sieve. ‘The clover seed in the pod is blown away from 
under the sieve, whilst the plantain and carrot-like seed fall 
straight to the ground. 
Dodder (Cuscuta trifolit), to which we have before referred, 
can also be entirely removed by careful sifting, and the farmer 
should never grudge his seed merchant charging him a few 
shillings extra per bushel if the sample offered to him has been 
