EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS. 85 



KEPORT OF THE CONSULTING BOTANIST. 



■Prof. C. D. Smith, Director of Experiment Station: 



Dear Sir — There has been no change in the duties of the consulting 

 botanist from former years, except a considerable increase in the 

 amount of work done. This fact must be taken into account when 

 but one-half of the time of the consulting botanist is expected to be 

 devoted to station work, and when in fact over three-fourths of his time 

 has of necessity been devoted to College work during the year past. 



The work may be included under the following heads, viz.: Seed test- 

 ing, plant diseases, naming plants, work in the herbarium. 



SEED TESTING. 



During the past year the number of samples of clover and grass seeds 

 submitted for examination has largely increased, and the results show 

 that Michigan grown clover seed is quite free from impurities and of 

 good vitality. One interesting fact has been brought out, viz., that two- 

 year-old clover seed has given a higher per cent of vitality than one- 

 year-old seed. 



The necessity' for the examination of clover seed before purchasing is 

 plainly to be seen when some of the cheaper samples of seed that are 

 offered in our markets are tested. These show a considerable amount of 

 weed seeds, dirt, and a low percentage of vitality. 



During the year many samples of beet seed have been tested for the 

 Experiment Station of this College, for the Detroit Sugar Co. and for the 

 Alma Sugar Co. 



The Detroit Sugar Co. made its entire purchase of seeds from the re- 

 sults of The above tests. 



PLANT DISEASES. 



The clover disease mentioned in the report for 1897, p. 99, Gleosporium 

 trifqlii, has continued to infest the clover fields of the station and the 

 farm. Ii has been observed that the clover plants which are troubled 

 with the root borer suffer the most from this disease. No means of cure 

 are yf'i known, although in a well arranged rotation this disease is little 

 to be found. 



An apple tree disease new to science has appeared in Michigan during 

 the year. Some diseased limbs of Baldwins were seiit to the station 

 botanist. The diseased specimens were taken from nursery stock which 

 Mr. J. B. McCallum of Holton had purchased from Hoopes Bros. & 

 Thomas, Pennsylvania. Diseased specimens were sent to J. B. Ellis, 

 who kindly named and described the disease. 



ASCOCHYTA MALI E. & E. 



The following description may help in the detection of this disease: 

 "Spots circular, i/^ to 1 Cm. in diameter, concave, of a pale brick-red 

 color, with margin n.irrowly free, sometimes becoming much larger, ex- 

 tending for two centimeters or nearly surrounding the limb. These 



