536 Grass and Clover Seed Growing. [Sept., 



of foreign seed imported was probably about half as much again 

 as the quantity grown in Britain. 



It seems highly desirable, therefore, in view of the general 

 superiority of English seeds over the foreign strains for use in 

 this country, to extend the growing of agricultural crops for seed, 

 in suitable districts. 



With this question in view, and also that of the improvement 

 of certain species by selection and breeding, a survey* of the 

 seed growing districts in England, Scotland! and Wales was 

 undertaken in 1919 with the object of ascertaining to what extent 

 the various species were seeded in Great Britain, which districts 

 had been found especially suitable for particular species, what 

 were the climatic and soil conditions under which seed of the 

 various species was produced, and to what extent and in which 

 districts seed growing could be economically extended. The 

 remarks which here follow present an outline of the 

 information obtained and opinions formed during the course of 

 the survey. 



General View of the Position. — If a line be drawn from the 

 north of the Severn mouth to the Wash, the principal districts 

 which produce agricultural seeds will lie to the south of that line ; 

 a few detached counties and districts are of importance in the 

 area north of the line, the most notable being Hereford, eastern 

 Montgomery, the Vale of Clwyd, Ayrshire, and the carses of 

 Stirlingshire and Perthshire. The comparison of a map so marked 

 with a meteorological map shows that no relation can be traced 

 between climatic conditions as regards rainfall and sunshine and 

 the distribution of seed-growing areas. If comparison be made, 

 on the other hand, with geological and drift maps, the connec- 

 tion between the seed-growing industry and the distribution of 

 soils is fairly evident. In general, the heavy lands (largely those 

 derived from boulder clay drift) are used for Red Clover seed 

 .-growing; White is produced on heavy and medium soils; and 

 Trefoil and Sainfoin are most strongly developed in calcareous 

 districts, although both these stray on to the clayey land where 

 the latter contains chalk. Grass seeds in England are only pro- 

 duced in quantity in the fen districts; smaller amounts are 

 produced in other places as a by-product in the harvesting of 

 clovers. The Scottish counties named produce Ryegrass and 

 Timothy. 



* A detailed report of this survey will be published by the Ministry later, 

 t The surveyor was enabled to visit the Scottish seed-growing districts by the 

 courtesy of the Board of Agriculture for Scotland. 



