278 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE OfE. Doc. 



the Kentucky Blue Grass and Alsike. In one sample of the latter 

 over 9U,00U were estimated to a pound of sample. 



Tiniihle-weed (Amaranthus graecizans L.) This weed is common 

 over the United {States. Its popular name is well deserved, for the 

 tumbliug about of this weed with the winds of full and winter is ob- 

 served everywhere. The seeds are small, shining black bodies about 

 the size of White Clover seed, and are very likely to occur as im- 

 purities in any of the clovers. 



White Vei'vain (Verbena urticifolia L.) Nettle-leaved Vervain. 

 A common weed in waste places. It is best removed from farm 

 seeds by cutting out the plants before the crop is harvested. The 

 seeds are as long as Crimson Clover seed, but very slender, and light 

 brown in color. It is most likely to occur in Timothy and Millets. 



Wild Peppergrass i^Lepidium Virgiuicum L.) This native weed 

 occurs in our fields and meadows, and, like in the preceding case, 

 its seeds could be most cheaply excluded from farm seeds by cut- 

 ting out the weeds from the fields before the crop is harvested. The 

 seeds were present in small quantities only in the grass examined 

 — Timothy, Orchard Grass and Kentucky Blue Grass. 



Ti'illoiv-leaved Dock (Kumex salicifolius Weinm). White Dock. 

 This native Dock is generally in swampy land. It grows from one 

 to three feet high and is quite distinct from other Docks in having 

 very narrow leaves. The seeds are brown and triangular when sep- 

 arated from the broad-winged covers of the flowers. They were pres- 

 ent in samples of clovers, particularly, the Mammoth Red Clover. 



Witch Grass (Panicum capillare L.) Tumhle-weed. Dried plants 

 of this grass roll about in the wind after the fashion of the Ama- 

 ranth Tumble-weed and is often found with the latter and is also 

 known as a Tumble-weed. The seeds are produced in abundance, 

 but were found in comparatively few samples of farm seeds, mostly 

 Ked Clovers. 



Yellow Foxtail Grans (Ixophorus glauca (L.) Nash.) Pigeon, Grass. 

 This grass weed is recognized as the companion of the Green Foxtail, 

 found in cultivated fields. It is the larger and coarser of the two 

 in every way, even the seeds are decidedly larger. For this reason, 

 no doubt, they occurred less frequently as impurities in the Clover 

 seeds. 



CONCLUSIONS. 



Viewing the question of the seed supply in Pennsylvania from 

 the facts learned by this investigation, we may conclude that there 

 are farm seeds placed on sale that are exceedingly poor and even 



