150 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



IMantngo major — Coinmoii or Broad-loavod lMaii(ain. Poroiuiial, iii- 

 ti'odiu'od from Europe. Seeds about tlie same shape as those of Kugel's 

 plantaiu, only mueli smaller, and lighter in color. Can easilj^ be screened 

 out, unless the pods remain whole. S 174 W 198. 



Potentilla mons])eliensis — Five- finger or Cinquefoil. Annual or bi- 

 ennial, native 1o (his country. Seeds unsymmetrically ovoid, or kidney- 

 shaped, somewhat fladened, nearly white to light brown in color. The 

 surface of the seed is plainly marked with several longitudinal curved 

 ridges. These seeds are very small. S 105 W IIG. 



Kumex acetosella — Sorrel. Introduced perennial. The seeds are three- 

 angled, brown and very shiny, about the same size as those of alsike 

 clover. Often found with the veined calyx divisions still attached. Oc- 

 casionally found with the hull removed, when it is still three-angled, 

 but almost white in color. Common on sour soil. The seed is very dif- 

 ficult to remove from alsike clover seed. S 40 W 40. 



Silene noctiflora — Night-flowering Catch-^j. Annual and winter an- 

 nual. Introduced from Europe. The seed is round kidney-shaped, cov- 

 ered with tubercles. It is gray in color and about the size of alsike 

 clover seed. It is very hard to clean out of alsike. The plant is ob- 

 jectionable to live stock, whether as forage or fodder. Its presence in 

 a field is most often due to having sown it in the seed. S G9 W 79. 



The only weeds occurring very commonly in Alfalfa are Russian Knap- 

 weed, Russian Thistle and Dodder. The seed of the Russian Knapweed 

 is about as large as Alfalfa seed and is white. It was introduced into 

 this country in Alfalfa from Turkestan where it is native. At the latest 

 reports, it has never been knoAvn to ])roduce seed in this country. Its 

 presence in Alfalfa indicates imported seed. 



Salsola pestifer — Russian Thistle. This is an annual, introduced 

 from Russia. It is not a thistle, but is a tumble-weed, related to Lamb's 

 Quarters. The seed is cone-shaped, with a diameter about equal to that 

 of Alfalfa seed. The covering is transparent, showing the long coiled 

 embiyo. It is often found enclosed in the hull, which has a frill at 

 the broad end. Most common in prairie states and not likely to become 

 serious in Michigan, as the conditions are unfavorable to its rapid spread. 

 S 53 W 57. 



The weed seeds which are common in Timothy are for the most part 

 the same as those found in Alsike, besides the following: 



Cirsium arvense — Canada Thistle. Perennial, native to Europe. The 

 seeds are about the same length as the seeds of red clover, and a little 

 smaller in diameter. They are long, brown and may be slightly curved. 

 The apex is cup-shaped, with a tubercle in the center. It is found quite 

 often in Timothy. The plant reproduces by seeds and rootstocks. As 

 some seeds are not fertile, they will not all germinate. S 191 W 235. 



The weed content in a crop depends rather largely upon the locality 

 where grown, and varies considerably, in various parts of the country. 

 By examining the weeds in a sample, it is often possible to determine 

 where it was grown. 



GERMINATION. 



Although the laboratory' is not equipped for germination, I have made 

 these tests when requested to do so. I have been using Petri dishes, 

 with a small piece of blotting paper in each one. This has been a 



