108 
Farming of YorkifJnre. 
will be extended, for it is paiticularly suited to these districts, 
being liardy and productive ; in appearance it is brown, large, 
and of a fine quality. Of the large supply from Germany, con- 
taining almost every description of (juality, we give the pre- 
lercnce to the Sllesian, which Is generally well ripened, more free 
from weed-seeds than that from other districts, and seldom adul- 
terated. Much disappointment and failure in our clover crop 
may be jn'evented by the exercise of a certain degree of caution 
in purchasing seed only from trustworthy dealers ; if cheapness 
be the only desideratum, the result is almost invariably a failing 
crop ; let farmers sow a less quantity of seed of the best quality ; 
the cost will then be little more than that of a larger quantity of 
inferior seed, the result a good crop of clover. 
The example of the Scotch, who only buy the finest quality at 
a fair price, is worthy of attention. These cautious farmers, if 
not sufficient judges themselves, give their orders into the hands 
of a respectable dealer, who guarantees the genuineness of the 
seed, and finds his own interest in serving his customers well. 
Foreign seed is also well machined or cleansed from deleterious 
seeds by those dealers who guarantee to sell the best quality. 
Farmers are generally particular in the selection of seed for their 
grain crops ; the same caution is doubly necessary with regard to 
clover-seeds ; and if this caution were exercised in our home 
markets, the attention of farmers abroad would be given to the 
importance of well cleaning and preparing the land destined for 
seed crops, so as to meet the requirements of our trade. 
The same caution is required in selecting Italian rye-grass, 
kohl-rabi, turnip, and mangold seeds ; quality and excellence 
must be considered Ijefore price, or to save Zd. per pound a 
great loss may be incurred. 
Not to enlarge further on this topic, especially as it is the 
subject of a separate paper in this Journal, we will conclude by 
c[uoting some remarks on adulteration made by the writer on 
Norfolk farming (Journal, vol. xix., p. 278). He justly says, " Wo 
try all sorts of manures for all sorts of purposes ; some is pur- 
chased because it is cheap, some to serve a needy friend, some 
because the agent is a respectable man, some because it is horrid- 
looking stuff, some because it has a very revolting odour ; and 
there are many other reasons, too numerous and too absurd to 
mention. Now all these w^ays are wrong ways. The right one is 
to hiiy only hy analysis. Science may have made its false step ; 
Lawes and Llebig may have differed; abstract theories may not 
always have borne practical fruits ; but still chemical knowledge 
is the only way by which we can arrive at the real value of the 
artificial manures." The farmer who neglects this warning may 
experience a double loss : the cost of the outlay in the first 
