Clover-Seed and its Impurities. 
It might seem to be a matter of regret that Mr. Welby did 
not include in his bill some clauses by which the intermixture 
of old seed with that which was the produce of the previous 
harvest could have been prevented. But legislation in this 
direction would have been most undesirable, and would, indeed, 
have been very prejudicial to the true interests of the grower. 
For, in the first place, though a seed cannot live always, its life 
may persist for several years. The protective covering with 
which every seed is provided preserves the minute embryo 
plant from injury through the action of external agents. The 
varying conditions under which, in nature, seeds have to pass the 
dormant period of their existence, are met by the different and 
suitable structures of their respective protective coverings. In 
clover the seed-coverings are efficient for protecting the seed- 
plant for a considerable time when it does not encounter un- 
favourable conditions ; so that clover-seed, if it has been well 
ripened and well harvested, may be kept without injury for one 
or even for several years. 
Then, further, it is most undesirable in the interest of the agri- 
culturist to prevent a reasonable carrying forward of old seed ; 
for it would otherwise be impossible to meet his requirements 
in the event, which is not infrequent in our changeable climate, 
of having a bad seed-harvest. At the best the harvesting of 
seed is with us precarious. A bad year does not supply suffi- 
cient good seed for the next year's needs. The power must then 
be permitted of carrying forward old seed, and when this is done 
judiciously no injury can result to the grower. As the better class 
of seed-dealers are also seed-growers, they have the power of 
carrying on this necessary (as I venture to call it) part of their 
work intelligently. In the hands, therefore, of respectable and 
honourable dealers, the farmer who is dependent on purchased 
seed has nothing to fear from this cause. 
But there are, as has been stated, seeds from the immediately 
preceding harvest that are of no value to the agriculturist. 
These may be (1) seeds that have been so broken or bruised in 
threshing that they are incapable of germination. All samples 
of clover-seed necessarily contain more or less of such injured 
seeds. There may be (2) seeds that have been imperfectly 
ripened, and that present consequently a compressed, shrunk, 
and wrinkled appearance. Such seeds are not likely to ger- 
minate at all, or, if they do germinate, they produce, from the 
want of suitable nourishment, weak plants which are unable to 
establish themselves in the soil. Yet further, such valueless 
seeds may be (3) structurally perfect seeds, but their protective 
covering may be so indurated as to resist the entrance of the 
water necessary for germination, and they may consequently 
