1 May, 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 391 
so the seeds themselves are carefully selected, all light, shriveiled seeds rejected, 
and every other precaution taken to ensure that each sample consists of fresh 
healthy seeds. All this means labour, and workmen have to be paid, and this 
is the reason that cheap seeds are bad seeds, and that it is better to have one 
packet of dear seeds of a given sort than two packets of cheap ones. All 
respectable dealers in garden seeds buy only of firms who guarantee that the 
above precautions have been taken. Home-sayed seeds should be subjected to 
the same rigid system of selection. With two or three small sieves made from 
wire gauze, or other mesh, it is possible to grade seeds to a most wonderful 
degree of uniformity, if only sufficient trouble be taken. ‘This is greatly 
neglected by agriculturists. Many seem to think that any kind of seed will 
do to reproduce the plant, and many men who would never dream of 
attempting to breed from sickly or weedy stock will cheerfully sow ungraded 
seed, of which one-half will produce only weaklings, and trust to Providence 
for the result. The result is that as they sow, so shall they reap, in its most 
literal sense. Take any sample of such seed, grade it into two portions, sow the 
small light seed, and plump heavy seed in separate rows side by side (not in 
separate plots), thus— 
| I | Il | lI || Light seed. 
0 0 0 0) 0 0) O Heavy seed. 
I | | | | | | Light seed. 
0 ) 0 0 0 0 0 Heavy seed. 
| I I | | | || Light seed. 
0 0) 0 0) 0 0 ‘0 Heavy seed. 
Treat all alike, and watch the plants develop. ‘The result will astonish 
you. be 
In a place where the raising of seeds is an every-day business, preparation 
~ for next year’s seed-sowing is taking place now. Leaves are being collected 
§ g& 
and turned and watered to form leat mould, manure is being stacked to 
thoroughly decompose by the time it is required, and other preparations made. 
But without all these materials at hand, how are you, you say, to make a 
start now. You are only in a small way of seed-raising, you say, and you 
want to know, in language you can understand, how to set to work. You have 
the seed, and you want—(1) the receptacle for the soil; (2) the soil; (3) the 
drainage. The basis of all garden soils is good loam. ‘The top four inches of 
old pasture land will give you a good idea of what it is. If you have pot 
plants you should dig from such a pasture a top sod four inches deep. Lay in 
some out-of-the-way corner a layer of these sods; then a layer of manure, wood 
ashes, leaf soil, crushed bones and sitilar .substances; then a layer of sods 
again, piling them up until you haye a stack like a heap of sandwiches ; protect 
with a few sheets of corrugated iron, and allow to stand for a few months. 
This broken down is the best potting and seed-sowing material you can obtain. 
That heap which lies ready was made inthis way: Three loads of loam were 
brought from a high bank by the river, care being taken to get it sufficiently deep 
in this instance to avoid the roots of weeds; to this was added one load sand, one 
load thoroughly rotted manure, one load thoroughly decomposed leaves, and one 
load fine charcoal. These were all dumped down on top of each other. Then 
a man with a shovel turned them all over one way and then back again, 
thoroughly mixing them. Then he took a portion and sifted it, the fine stuff 
being reserved for the covering for the seeds, the rough stuff being retained to 
put immediately over the drainage. 
You can make up a mixture like this from many sources. Very good seed- 
sowing material may often be found where little floods of rain-water have 
deposited earth, vegetable refuse, and sand in culverts and by roadsides. _When 
the stuff is ready it should be of such a consistence that when you take it in 
your hand and give it a good squeeze it will retain the shape given to it by 
your fingers, but will instantly fall to pieces again with a touch. It should be 
