Annual Report for 1889 of the Consulting Botanist. 1 G9 
germination of white clover was 90 per cent., red clover 92 per cent., 
and alsike 94 per cent. Trefoil is, as a rule, singularly free from 
impurities ; the average germination was 93 per cent. Sainfoin 
reached only 69 per cent., and lucerne averaged 94 per cent. 
I would like to call attention to a practice far from uncommon 
in different parts of the country. It is thought that the grasses 
most suitable for the soil of a district are those that grow freely in 
the neighbourhood ; and that, consequently, the seeds from any 
neighbouring lield of meadow hay must give the very plants that 
are to be desired in a new pasture. I have had several cases of tins 
kind brought under my notice during the season, and in each case 
have been compelled to utterly condemn the mixture thus obtained. 
I will give the analyses of two samples from the same locality which 
were thus obtained. The first sample of home-grown liay-seed con- 
sisted of — 
Tcr cent. 
Yorkshire fog i>7 
Perennial rye-grass .... 19 
Crested dogstail 11 
Italian rye-grass 4 
Tor cent. 
Hard fescue 4 
Poas 2 
Meadow fescue 1 
Cocksfoot 1 
The second sample of screened home-grown hay-seed consisted 
of— 
Perennial rye-grass . 
Itibgrass or plantain 
Yorkshire fog . . 
Soft brome grass 
Crested dogstail . . 
Buttercup . . . . 
IVt cent. 
GO 
8 
7 
7 
5 
3 
Sterile brorne grass 
Yellow rattle . . 
Italian rye-grass 
Meadow fescue . 
Other grasses 
Per cent. 
. 3 
2 
2 
! i 
During the month of July I visited the thirteen selected pastures 
scattered over the South and West of England. I compared the 
enclosed pieces with the general pasture of the field in which they 
were situated, and afterwards, with the help of my son, analysed the 
herbage of the enclosed portions, which was carefully cut, and for- 
warded to my laboratory at Norwood. The report of the results 
appears in another part of the present number of the Journal. 
The comparatively small increase in the applications during the 
past year appears to me to show that the members do not know the 
small fee for which the purity and germinating power of their seeds 
can be ascertained. Wm. Carrutiiers. 
