188 Report of the Botanical Department of the 



VIABILITY of timothy SEED SAMPLES. 



Ten timothj seed samples were selected and tested for germi- 

 nation, as were the red clover and alsike seed samples. 



The average percentage of viability vv^as 88 . 4 



The lowest percentage of viability was 70. 



The highest percentage of viability was 97. 



NOTES ON^ ADULTERATED SAMPLES. 



It appears from the evidence that has come to our attention 

 during the past year that adulteration with yellow trefoil occurs 

 in two ways : by willful addition of this seed to higher priced 

 clover seed or by natural infestation in the field. A sample of 

 seed bought for red clover and sent in to this Station during j\Iarch, 

 1911, was found to contain 60 per ct. of yellow trefoil and 35 

 J3er ct. alsike clover. After receiving our report the dealer in- 

 formed us that there was about 4 quarts of the trefoil in the center 

 of each of the bags. This dealer stated that the one of whom he 

 bought the seed did not know of its presence and the matter was 

 dropped. This seems to be a clear case of willful adulteration. 



A sample of alsike clover which had been grown in the vicinity 

 of Fayette, J^. Y., was brought in and found to contain 5 per ct. 

 of trefoil seed. In this locality some of the alsike clover fields 

 were badly infested with yellow trefoil and this case of adultera- 

 tion was undoubtedly a result of natural infestation. 



Another case of adulteration due to natural infestation was 

 brought to our notice in April. This was a sample of alsike clover 

 which contained 17 per ct. of yellow trefoil. The man who 

 grew this seed knew that it contained the foreign seed of yellowish 

 color but was not aware of its nature or source. He had offered it 

 for sale but upon learning the exact situation he was very anxious 

 to know of some method of separating the impurity. 



It seems probable that the original introduction of yellow tre- 

 foil into the localities where this natural infestation occurred was 

 by means of adulterated clover seed. If the land where this in- 

 festation occurred is as badly overrun with this weed as we have 

 been led to believe, it is probable that the production of clean 



