1906.] Red Clover Seed and its Impurities. 717 



true to a certain extent on the heaviest and coldest land, though, 

 on the other hand, authentic American seed has been known to 

 grow well and persist for years within five miles of London, 

 holding its own against English red clover and cow grass. The 

 writer has known of many large consignments in this country of 

 American-grown clovers which have almost invariably given 

 satisfaction. 



The seeds of red clover are somewhat oval in shape, and in 

 a general way slightly three-angled, the radicle of the embryo 

 projecting prominently on one side, the colour varying even in 

 high-class samples from light or deepish purple at the broad 

 end shading down to a yellow or greyish-yellow at the narrow 

 end. The evidence of immaturity, and perchance a weakened 

 or deficient germination, is recognised by means of the number 

 of single-seeded seed pods and by the somewhat indefinable 

 shade of yellowish-green which the seeds exhibit. Any sample 

 that contains a goodly number of red or brownish coloured 

 shrivelled-looking seeds should be avoided, as they are either 

 browned by age or by unfavourable weather conditions during 

 harvest. 



The farmer, in handling a sample preparatory to purchase, 

 may insensibly, as it were, form a definite opinion in several 

 ways sufficient to give him a direct and practical hold upon 

 the quality and market value of the sample. With care, and 

 a certain amount of experience, he can be absolutely certain 

 whether the seed is genuine or otherwise. If the colour is 

 good, fresh and bright, the seeds are fairly certain to be new 

 and of last season's crop. The seeds must also be large and 

 bold and fairly uniform in size throughout the bulk, free, or 

 comparatively so, from noxious weeds, and entirely free from 

 the parasite — Dodder. 



It would be well for the farmer to realise that, as a general 

 rule, the purity examination of all the seed he sows is of vital 

 importance, meaning perhaps to him the difference between a 

 robust, healthy crop, and a weak, straggling, diseased one. If 

 unable to analyse the sample himself, it would be better to 

 expend the necessary small sum required for such an examina- 

 tion than to risk the possible introduction of weeds and disease 

 into his fields that years of toil may fail to eradicate. The 



