90 STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 



GERMINATION TESTS. 



Forty samples of the flat pea, Laihynes Silvesiris, were placed in a 

 Genera seed-tester, after being subjected to treatment in hot water at 

 temperatures ranging from 140'' to 212'' Fahr. The different samples 

 remained in water from five minutes to forty-eight hours. Results were 

 reported to the director of the station. 



SMUT EXPERIMENTS. 



Some time during the month of June was spent looking after the various 

 smut experiments undertaken for the prevention and cure of smut in corn, 

 wheat, oats and barley. These experiments were begun by Prof. P. G. 

 Holden before his resignation. 



WHAT KILLED THE SHEEP? 



Early in June Messrs. P. Farrand & Sons, extensive farmers of Colon, 

 Branch county, wrote to the president of the college asking to have some 

 person sent to examine into the cause of the sudden death of a number of 

 their sheep. June eighth the consulting botanist visited Colon, and 

 learned the following facts: 



At noon June 2, 1893, one hundred and sixty sheep were turned into a 

 field of seventeen acres in which corn had been grown the year before. 

 'The next morning some of the sheep were found to be sick. At noon two 

 had died and the remainder of the flock were then put into another fleld. 



During Saturday and Sunday six more sheep died. No more sheep were 

 taken sick after the removal from the corn stubble. 



This field had not been cultivated during the present season, before the 

 sheep were turned into it, and had become thickly covered with a luxuriant 

 growth of shepherd's-purse, Capsella hernsa-pastoris, and sleppy catchfly, 

 Silene antinhina. The fungous disease known as white rust, Cystopus 

 candidiis, was abundant on the shepherd's-purse distorting the plants very 

 much. From all the information gained, it seems that the death of the 

 sheep followed eating the diseased shepherd's-purse. J. H. Steele in dis- 

 eases of the sheep p. 337, states that " sheep have been known to suc- 

 cumb to a charbon-like affection when they have eaten the ordinary 

 shepherd' spurse on which grew livedo condida " or the white rust. 



Respectfully submitted, 



C. F. WHEELER, 

 Considting Boianisf Experiment Siation. 

 A(;ricultural College, 

 June 30, 1893. 



