i89o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
271 
always buy their supplies from the houses 
which offer the cheapest stocks.” It is a 
matter of notoriety among those familiar 
with the seed trade that there are in this 
country houses which make a specialty of 
buying up the stale stock of more reputable 
houses, and sending it out as “ commission 
seed ” to rural dealers. 
The larger part of the grass and clover 
seeds used by American farmers never passes 
through the hands of bona fide seedsmen 
at all. It is gathered as a makeshift crop 
by persons who have little or no knowledge 
of the care and appliances necessary for 
preparing high grade seed. This seed is 
generally consigned to general dealers, or 
bartered at retail groceries. Much of it 
may be a generation old before it finally 
reaches the consumer. A farmer prepares 
a field at great expense and sows it with such 
grasses and clover seed, and the result is too 
often weedy herbage scarcely sufficient to 
support a goat to the acre ! As Botanist of 
the North Carolina Experiment Station, I 
have analyzed and tested for farmers num¬ 
erous samples of “store seeds,” and the 
majority of these samples were so foul as 
to be worse than worthless. Careful and 
conscientious seedsmen are the persons 
most interested in placing the seed trade 
upon a basis where every tub must stand 
upon its own bottom, and where superior 
merit will have a fair chance to get its due. 
But so long as seed purchasers fail to dis¬ 
criminate between clean and foul, or fresh 
and stale samples, there is very little en¬ 
couragement for seedsmen to incur the ad¬ 
ditional expense of preparing a higher 
grade of seeds. What one firm thinks of 
the present state of the seed market the 
following extract from a letter addressed 
to the undersigned will show : 
“You deserve very great credit for your 
efforts to bring about a reform in the sup¬ 
plying of grass seeds. The samples that 
are sometimes submitted to us by growers 
are simply shocking. We would like to see 
some one placed in power in each State to 
pass upon the quality of samples sold to 
farmers. We feel sure that it would re¬ 
lieve bona fide seedsmen of a great respon¬ 
sibility, and would be the means of abol¬ 
ishing the enormous quantities of worth¬ 
less seeds that are annually placed upon 
the market. peter Henderson & co.” 
The critic in the Rural quotes the case 
of a clerk who stole a bag of cauliflower 
seed and substituted therefor a bag of cab¬ 
bage seed. This is meant to show the 
futility of guarantees. The law very justly 
holds principals responsible for the business 
acts and errors of their agents, and in the 
case quoted the seedsman was legally as 
responsible for the loss caused to his cus¬ 
tomers as though the substitution had been 
made by himself or by his orders. If honest 
his case may be hard, but the remedy 
is in his own hands. He should 
employ only trustworthy men and fur¬ 
ther protect himself by requiring of all 
those placed in positions of trust a guar¬ 
antee bond large enough to cover all pos¬ 
sible embezzlement. 
The case of the speculator and his watch 
is still more irrelevant. There is no real 
connection between the quality of a watch 
and the success or failure of a speculation ! 
As this is a hypothetical case, let us carry 
it a little further, merely keeping within 
the bounds of probability. Let us suppose 
„ the man was left behind. His rival having 
a good watch, and being on hand when the 
train arrives, gets a seat. The train pulls 
out and while running at a high speed col¬ 
lides with a “ wild” train. The speculator 
is killed. The belated speculator takes a 
later train,reaches his destination and com¬ 
pletes the speculation to the gain of $5,000. 
According to the logic of our critic, the Is¬ 
raelite who sold the brass watch would seem 
to have a legitimate claim not only to a 
part of the profits of the speculation, but 
also to a percentage on the amount of in¬ 
surance on the speculator’s life. On the 
other hand, the Samaritan who sold the 
correct time-piece should beheld liable for 
damage to the heirs of the man killed. 
Could anything be more puerile than such 
reasoning ? 
When a man calls for cauliflower seed and 
receives seed labeled cauliflower,he is justi 
fled by every rule of logic and law in ex¬ 
pecting cauliflower and not cabbage plants 
from the seed. If the seed comes up. cab¬ 
bage he has a just claim against the seller 
for the actual present loss he has suffered 
on account of the spurious seed. He can¬ 
not, however, claim consequential damages 
based upon the possible selling price of the 
mature crop. Had the seed been genuine 
he might, nevertheless, have lost the crop by 
accidents of the weather or insects, or the 
price might have fallen so low as to make 
the crop not worth marketing. On the 
other hand, the mere sum he paid for the 
spurious seed does not reimburse his loss 
caused by the error of the seedsman. He has 
lost also his labor, a part of the manure 
placed on the land and the rental of the 
land for the time being. This is a question 
not yet settled by law or custom, and, as 
already stated, the guarantee system does 
not touch it. 
It is idle and misleading to tell consum¬ 
ers to test seeds for themselves. Seed tests 
to be satisfactory and legally binding must 
be conducted according to standard scien¬ 
tific methods, and by persons’who are com¬ 
petent, responsible and disinterested. Bot¬ 
anical analysis of seed's requires expensive 
apparatus, and as much experience and 
technical skill as the chemical analysis of 
fertilizers. Public analyses of fertilizers 
have been found highly beneficial to the 
public wherever they have been tried. In 
States having fertilizer control stations, 
manufacturers are required to brand each 
retail packet with the guaranteed composi¬ 
tion of the contents. By these means 
honest manufacturers of high-grade goods 
are protected from unscrupulous competi¬ 
tion, and consumers, though no chemists, 
are able to compare different brands intelli¬ 
gently, and decide how much of any brand 
is necessary for a particular crop. If seeds¬ 
men in the same way branded their packets 
with the guaranteed purity and vitality of 
the inclosed seeds, purchasers would be 
able to discriminate between different 
brands of seed, and to decide how much of 
any brand they would need to sow a given 
area of ground. It is no hardship to re¬ 
quire seed dealers to label their goods with 
the real quality of the same. Without a 
knowledge of the quality of the different 
species, no rational mixture of grasses and 
clovers can be made. The farmer who sows 
untested and unguaranteed seeds can have 
no real or true idea of what the result will 
be. Rational agriculture demands seeds of 
guaranteed quality. GERALD MCCARTHY. 
Raleigh, N. C. 
nearest grocery”store, there is no help for 
them. There is no help for those who are 
unwilling to turn over ahand to help them¬ 
selves. Scores of catalogues of the best 
seedsmen in the country are available for 
the asking. 
The plea that we should have a check up¬ 
on seedsmen as well as upon fertilizer firms 
is absurd. The farmer has no way of de¬ 
termining whether his fertilizer is worth 
$10 or $40 per ton unless he happens to be a 
chemist. It is the simplest thing for him 
to determine whether his seeds are alive or 
dead, or whether, to a reasonable extent, 
they are pure or foul. If found to be of 
low vitality or impure, he has merely to re¬ 
turn them to his seedsman stating the case 
—an act which would be graciously re¬ 
sponded to by any reputable firm in the 
country. We do not see that the rest of 
Botanist McCarthy’s rather lengthy com¬ 
munication calls for any further reply. 
Eds. R. N.-Y.] 
Pi-sceUmuuus 
Always name R. N.-Y. in writing to ad¬ 
vertisers. 
and pafftinng. 
CONTINENTAL. 
DISK, » PULVERISER. 
THE BEST IS THE CHEAPEST. 
Your land will be hard and need thorough culti¬ 
vation for the next crop. You will prepare for seed 
ing with less labor if you use our Pulverizer. 
LABOR SAVED IS MONEY. 
You can get larger returns by using the Continental. 
Larger crops mean more cash. Send for prices and 
circular, *• How to Buy Direct.” 
THE JOHNSTON HARVESTER CO., 'VI 1 * 
Spring 
Medicine 
Seems more than ever a necessity this season, after 
the mild, unhealthful wlDter, and the unexpected 
prevalence of Influenza, pneumonia, typhoid fever, 
etc , leaving nearly everybody weak, exhausted and 
tired. Hood’s Sarsaparilla is just the medicine to 
overcome that tired feeling, purify your blood, im¬ 
part a good appetite and promote healthy digestion. 
It is sold by all druggists. $1; six far $5. Prepared by 
C. I. HOOD & CO., Lowell. Mass. 
IOO Doses One Dollar 
[Botanist McCarthy, you asserted that 
“ all the respectable seedsmen of Europe 
give a pofitive and definite guarantee of 
the purity and vitality of their seeds.” 
The R. N.-Y. showed you that this, in the 
sense above conveyed, is untrue. Why 
don’t you own it up ? We gave the names 
of five English firms, one German and two 
French firms who offer no other guarantee 
in substance, than that which our leading 
firms give. 
You say that all but one of the English 
firms that the R N.-Y. mentions are -l small 
firms.” This is not true. Then you men¬ 
tion a list of large English firms which you 
assert sell tested and guaranteed seeds. 
Among them is, first, the firm of James 
Carter & Co. “probably the largest seed 
firm in England.” We have before us a 
letter from this firm (dated February 20, 
1890) upon which is printed in italic type : • 
“ Messrs. James Carter, Dunnet <fc Beale 
give no warranty, express or implied , as 
to the description, quality, productiveness 
or any other matter of any seeds they 
send out, and they will not be in any way 
responsible for the crop.” 
Again, you mention in your selected list 
of leading firms Peter Lawson & Sons as 
“ scarcely second to James Carter & Co.” 
In their catalogue on the second page, we 
find: 
“ No complaints can be entertained unless 
made upon the receipt of goods and invoice, 
and no warranty or guarantee is given in 
connection with the crops grown from 
seeds sent out.” 
Again you mention Huist & Sons. An 
invoice to one of our leading firms states 
in conspicuous type: 
“ Messrs Hurst & Son give no warranty, 
express or implied, as to description, qual¬ 
ity, productiveness or any other matter of 
any seeds they send out.” So much for 
your repeated assertions on this point. 
Are you not aware, Mr. Me. Carthy, that 
of two samples of the same kind of seed, 
grown in different places and selected with 
different degrees of care, one sample may 
contain 100 per cent, of live seeds, the other 
but 75 per cent, or less ? And are you not 
aware that the latter, on account of more 
careful selection, may be worth twice as 
much as the former ? 
We have not intimated that you advocat¬ 
ed “ consequential damages.” We endeav¬ 
ored merely to show that the “European 
guarantee ” you allude to is essentially the 
same as that which any of our leading 
seedsmen are pleased to offer and that any¬ 
thing like a further guarantee would be 
impracticable. If farmers or gardeners 
are so indifferent to their own interests 
that they prefer to buy stale seeds of the 
Garts & Carriages 
of Ktt ry Description. 
A special bargain for one 
person at each post office, 
to introduce our work. 
Send 6«. for Information. 
UNION MACHINE C0„ 
Carriage Department, So. 46, 
PHILADELPHIA. PA. 
Eue, Comfort and Thriftl 
THE BEST CATTLE FASTENING! 
SMITH’S SELF-ADJUSTING SWING STANCHION, 
rjf The only practical String Stanchion Invented. 
Thousands in use. Illustrated Circular free. Men¬ 
tion Kura i. New-Yorker. 
F. G. PARSONS & CO.. Addison, Steuben CO..N.Y 
The RELIABLE PUMP 
This Is what every one should have In case of Fire. 
No farmer or gardener should be without one for 
SPRAYIAG TREES. 
Washing Windows, Washing 
Buggies, &c. Farmers or Fruit¬ 
growers can save their fruit, 
suehasCherries. Apples,Peaches, 
Currants, or fruit of any kind, 
where Insect will destroy It This 
Pump is the best for the money 
in the market. Is double acting, 
i will throw a steady stream 50 to 
I so feet horizontally or 25 to 30 ft, 
’ high, is made with brass body, 
and is the Cheapest Pump on the 
market. Price only @3 eack, 
THE GEO. WOSTHINGTON CO., 
59 & 61 St. Clair Street, Cleveland, Ohio. 
A GOOD FARM FOR NOTHING. 
Reason* for the Decline of 
AGRICULTURE AND FARM VALUES 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 
Bi Judge Nett, of tie U. S. Court ol Claims. 
In small pamphlet form. Price 1 cent per 
copy, in small or large quantities. Postage 
extra, 1 cent per five copies. 
Rural New-Yorker, New York City. 
BONEMEAL 
Piso’s Remedy for Catarrh Is the 
Best, Easiest to Use, and Cheapest. 
.CATARRH 
1_ 
Rochester Hay Slings and Carriers. 
Result of twenty-two years’ experience. 
SEND FOR ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE. 
RICKER & M0!\"G0MERY, 
58 Lorimer St.- ochester, N. Y. 
ECLIPSE CORN PLANTER. 
Will plant Field and Ensilage Corn, Beans, Peas and 
Beet Seed In hills, drills and checks-in hills up 
to 45 Inches; In checks from 36 Inches up to any dis¬ 
tance desired. Will distribute all Fertilizers wet or 
drv. Farmers, send for eirculars giving truthful tea- 
itidoniols. ECLIPSE CORA PLANTER CO., 
Enfield, Grafton Co.. New Hampshire. 
THE ADVANCE HAY TEDDER 
The most perfect atricle of Its kind made. Ease of 
movement and satisfaction guaranteed. Also manu¬ 
facturers of Mowers. Rakes, Hay Presses. Feed Cut¬ 
ters, Plows, etc. Write for Free Circular. Agents 
wanted in every ocallty. Address 
INN ARBOR AGRICULTURAL GO., #I W" 
DARNELL’S 
V. PATENT 
FURROWER 
l£ MARKER 
Craagr 
tdj ustablr' 
to all inenuaL* 
hie* of ground. 
F9_ 
k es 
Opens a J 
I better row in ^^ t 
leither soft or hard J5 
"ground than any other Marker. 
Leaves the earth weUpulverized at bottom of furrow. 
Mark* any width from to 5 feet, and from a mer* 
* mark to 6 inches deep. 
“Take pleasure in recommending it. Itdoesthebusines*; la 
well made aud will last for years.” J.S. Collins,Moorestovn r N.J. 
“It far exceeds my expectations. If the real merits of thla 
cheap implement were known to potato growers alone, the salea 
would be immense.” E.L.Coy,I*res. Wash.Co. UV. T.) A gr. Society 
« U1 nnilAIITCU Manufact'r, Moo res town. 
.TviUUUbll I B H Burlington C<k, N. * 
HU AND STRAW PRESS. 
for Poultry, Granulated Bone 
and Crushed Oyster Shells, 
Calcite Ground Flint and Bee! 
Scraps. Send for new price-list. 
YORK CHEMICAL WORKS. York. Pa. 
I 
Sold by druggists or sent by malL 
50c. E. T. Hazeltlne, Warren, Pa. 
Guaranteed to press three ton* more of hay In one 
day (10 hours), than any other portable two-horse 
press, with the same amount of help. Give It a trial. 
Satisfaction guaranteed, or no gale and freight 
refunded. For conditions, circulars, etc., address 
J. A. SPENCER, Dwight, Ill. 
THE COMING HOG. 
Not liable to Cholera. 
RAPID GROWTH. SPLENDID 
FOR EXHIBITION. MOST 
PORK FOR FOOD OONSUMED 
2 WEIGHED 2806 LBS 
L.B. Silver Co. Cleveland,O- 
