826 



Seeds a^b Good Crops. 



[Dec, 



for lookiDg after the woods, can choose which coppices are worth 

 regukr attention in the matter of draining, clearing and replac- 

 ing dead stocks, and decide at what interval each coppice should 

 be cut. The crate -rod and barrel-hoop trade shows need of atten- 

 tion to the supplies of wood, and it gives one illustration among 

 many, of the need for an Intelligence Bureau to which all who 

 are interested in woodland industries can contribute, and apply 

 for information. Such information cannot be made .available 

 to the local people most concerned unless there is a local 

 organisation to correspond. 



* * * * * * 



SEEDS AND GOOD CROPS. 



Leslie E. Cook, N.D.A., 

 Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. 



The first essential towards the production of a first-class crop 

 is to use only first-class seed. Such a description involves : — 



(a) Variety best suited to the land. 



(b) Good strain. 



(c) High purity. 



(d) Good germination. 



(e) Suitable country of origin. 



Variety. — Experience will be the most useful guide as 

 regards variety, and here the seedsman may be able to help, 

 for he has opportunities of observing the different classes of seed 

 growing on various soils and of comparing the resulting crops 

 and yields. The County Agricultural Organiser should be able 

 to give some information on variety trials in the county. Experi- 

 ments can also be tried by growing two or three varieties in the 

 same field and carefully watching the results. 



Good strain is of great importance in cereals and roots, as 

 these crops are liable to get very impure and poor after a few 

 years. Great trouble is taken by the big seed growers to keep 

 pure strong stocks of their seeds ; inspection and rogueing of 

 growing crops is rigorously carried out ; -and the resulting seed 

 is cleaned very carefully — all small and immature seed being 

 eliminated. This labour adds considerably to the cost of the 

 seed, but it will add much more to the resulting yield, and in 

 the case of cereals to the value of the grain when marketed. . The 

 cost of the seed is not a big item, in the cost of raising a crop, 

 and a few shillings more per acre will usually be well repaid by 

 an increased crop. This has been demonstrated repeatedly by 



