No. 5. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 269 



and injured. I should urge everyone present to assist in this matter 

 by advising, whenever opportunity affords itself, that carefully 

 packed, ample, representative, specimens accompany requests for 

 determination. While many of the plant identifications are purely 

 general, a large percentage of them have to do with plants which are 

 recognized pests, or weeds. Usually these are accompanied by re- 

 quests for information concerning methods of eradication of control. 

 Here the domain of the botanist gradually shades off into that of the 

 agronomist. 



Concerning the question of eradication of weeds, I cannot im- 

 prove upon the statement of your former botanist, tliat "there is 

 ordinarily no quick, shortliand way of getting thoroughly rid of 

 pestiferous weeds." I am sure, nevertheless, that all of us have felt 

 much encouraged over the developments in recent years of spraying 

 in this connection. 



You will be interested in hearing, I am sure, that there has ap- 

 peared during the year, the publication of successful results in the 

 results in the control of wild garlic. This investigation has been 

 can'ied on at the Indiana Experiment Station. The spray material 

 used is a petroleum product sold by the Standard Oil Company 

 under the name of orchard heating oil. It is a complete spray, kill- 

 ing all vegetation w^hich it strikes, and not a differential spray like 

 iron sulphate, which kills weeds but does not injure the cereals. The 

 results are very promising. 



Closely allied to the subject of weeds is that of poisonous plants. 

 We have had during the year several inquiries concerning the eradi- 

 cation of poison ivy. It has been logical to suggest the pouring of 

 some chemical solution about the roots of the plants. One corre- 

 spondent reported back to us that he had good success with strong, 

 hot brine. In this connection, it might be interesting to point out 

 that the usual bad effects from coming into contact with poison ivy 

 may frequently, and perhaps usually, be avoided in a simple man- 

 ner. It consists in thorough washing, with the aid of some good laun- 

 dry soap. If the washing is not delayed too long after contact Avith 

 the ivy, the chances of poisoning are very much lessened. 



Questions relating to seeds are also constantly coming up and these 

 are frequently of a botanical nature. Questions concerning the pur- 

 ity and germination of farm seeds have been considered, commercially, 

 so important that the last Legislature saw fit to pass certain laws 

 on the subject which, I believe, are administered by the Secretary 

 of this Board. Reduction in yields of cereals, particularly oats and 

 wheat, are often due to smuts and other diseases which are carried 

 over from year to year on the seed. The spores which carry them 

 over are microscopic and are, therefore, not detected by ordinary 

 methods of examination. The presence of such diseases is in reality 

 just as much an adulteration as is the presence of the weed seed, 

 and the result is many times just as serious. The carrying over of 

 such diseases is all the more lamentable since the seed can be dis- 

 infected easily and cheaply. I refer to the formaldehyde method. 

 The seed is sprinkled with a solution of one pint of formaldehyde to 

 forty gallons of water, covered with sacks or burlap for two hours, 

 and then raked out and allowed to dry. Every farmer should treat 

 all unknown seed of oats and wheat, or all seed from a crop whicli 

 was smutty or diseased. 



