192 Report of the Botanical Department of the 



sprouted. This had resulted in an entire failure of the crops and 

 we were asked to determine the cause. 



In all of the samples, the seed was unusually light colored, 

 bright, smooth, and vigorous in appearance. The very light color 

 led us to suspect that it had been treated with sulphur fumes. 

 This process is apparently quite frequently used in the West to 

 improve the appearance of seed that has become moldy or dvill 

 looking and has been reported by several of the eastern experiment 

 stations as one which has resulted in severe losses to oat crops. 

 Samples of bleached oats were sent in to this Station for the first 

 time during 1911. 



If properly carried out, the bleaching process does not mate- 

 rially injure the viability of the seed, but if the seed is allowed to 

 remain in the fumes for any great length of time much damage 

 results and such seed is absolutely worthless for seeding purposes. 

 It is said, however, that seed so treated does not lose its nutri- 

 tive value and is not injurious to animals. Chemical tests 

 of four samples made by Mr. A. W. Bosworth, Associate 

 Chemist of this 'Station, showed that sulphuric acid was present in 

 large quantities. Germination tests of the same samples show the 

 following percentages of viable seed : 



Sample No. 1 14 per ct. viable 



Sample No. 2 1 per ct. viable 



Sample No. .S none viable 



Sample No. 4 none viable 



For detailed information concerning the bleaching of oats and 

 barley seed with sulphur fumes and a method for detecting seed 

 that has been so treated, the reader is referred to two publications 

 of the United 'States Department of Agriculture : Bureau of Plant 

 Industry Circulars I^o. 40, W. P. Carroll, "A Simple Method of 

 Detecting Sulphured Barley and Oats," and ^o, 74, Le Eoy 

 M. Smith, " The Sulphur Bleaching of Commercial Oats and 

 Barley." 



