No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 363 



i« a yellow berry full of seeds and about the size of the end of a 

 man's finger, or about the size of a potato ball. 



It is very hard to eradicate. It is a very serious pest, and it is 

 important that every person should be able to recognize this pest, 

 because if it once gets a start on one's premises, it will be very 

 difficult to destroy. I have heard of persons who have been able 

 to get rid of it by putting the field into cultivation with corn, pota- 

 toes or some other hoed crop, and just as soon as any green leaf of 

 the weed starts, cut it down; keep the fields under the cultivator and 

 keep it cut right down so that the leaves do not have a chance to 

 start. 



While I am speaking of this, I wish to say, Mr. Secretary, that 

 this last summer I met with a gentleman who had an entire field 

 which had been closely covered with Canada thistles. He had 

 turned Angora goats into this field and found that they would feed 

 upon the thistles, and when they got tired of feeding on them, he 

 would sprinkle a little salt over them and the goats went at them 

 again with apparently fresh relish. In that way he was able to 

 keep them down. I think these three points are worth reporting. 



DR. THAYER: I would like to ask if that is not poisonous to 

 stock. 



PROF. SURFACE: No; not poisonous to stock. Stock will. not 

 eat them. The proper name of it is horse-nettle, or Jerusalem 

 cherry — the scientific name is Solanum carolinense. 



DR. TOWER: Speaking of this paint-brush, Susquehanna county 

 is full of it. In speaking of sheep not being able to get their 

 noses down, that is correct. I have seen it where there were places 

 half the size of this room where it was so thick they really couldn't 

 do that, so that the statement is correct. 



PROF. SURFACE: Mr. President, that is the way I learned it; 

 I believe it to be the one of the most serious coming pests of the 

 weed crop of Pennsylvania, and where I have seen it, it is just as 

 I have described it. 



MR. CLARK: The Committee on Credentials is ready to make a 

 partial report, if you are ready to hear it. 



The CHAIR: We are ready to hear the report. 



A partial report of the Committee on Credentials was presented 

 to the Board by the Chairman, which is Included in the supple- 

 mentary report on page 433. 



MR. HUTCHISON: Mr. Chairman, I move that these gentlemen 

 be elected as members of the Board as reported by the Committee. 



MR. CLARK: I second the motion. 



The motion was stated by the Secretary. 



MR. HERR: I rise to a point of order, that yon made yourself 

 some time ago, whether to-morrow morning is not the proper time 



