No. 2, September, 1920] AGRONOMY 153 



1107. Bollky, II. L. Official field crop inspection. Proc. Assoc. Official Seed Analysts 

 1919: 22-31. 1919. — -Author believes "that the first step in cereal crop improvement rests in 

 further extension of our state seed and weed laws and in the activity of the forces represented 

 by them, to include proper control of seed crop production and of seed and grain distribu- 

 tion." Seed inspection laws alone have failed to insure seed and crop improvement since 

 they inspect in the bin or bag after the goods has left the farm. Proposes for "every cereal 

 producing state a law authorizing seed, field crop inspection, seed certification, seed stand- 

 ardization and seed sales lists" under the supervision of a competent officer, also providing 

 for educational emphasis together with means for demonstrations and field work with seed 

 plots. — -V. T. Munn. 



110S. Breakwell, E. Popular description of grasses. Agric. Gaz. New South Wales 31 : 

 2 1 -28. Fig. 1-3. 1920. — -Habits of growth and seed production, palatability, behavior under 

 irrigation and commercial possibilities are given for the genus Danthonia as found in New 

 South Wales. Danthonia longifolia, D. bi partita and D. pallida, are figured. The Danthonias 

 constitute 90 per cent of the grass herbage on the tablelands and slopes in New South Wales, 

 and are common in western districts. Seed habits are fairly good. The Danthonias will be 

 valuable in pastures in the future. — L. R. Waldron. 



1109. Breakwell, E. A remarkable fodder plant. Shearman's clover. (Trifolium fra- 

 giferum var.) Agric. Gaz. New South Wales 31 : 245-250. 4 fig- 1920. — This report is given 

 by the agrostologist. This clover was propagated vegetatively from an individual plant 

 found growing alone several years previously. A taxonomic study indicates it to be unique, 

 but closely allied to strawberry clover, T. fragiferum. The author suggests that it may have 

 resulted from a cross between T. fragiferum and T. repens or T. medium or even between the 

 t wo latter. Although under observation for over 20 years it has not been observed to produce 

 viable seed. Compared with T. fragiferum, it is said to spread three times as quickly and to 

 produce six times the amount of feed. Its palatability and nutritive quality are stated to be 

 of the highest order. It thrives on marshy and slightly saline soils. It is not killed by 

 frost. Chemical analyses are given. — L. R. Waldron. 



1110. Breakwell, E. Trials of Wimmers rye-grass. (Lolium subulatum.) Agric. 

 Gaz. New South Wales 31: 107-110. 2 fig. 1920. — Conclusions as given are unfavorable to 

 the grass both as to cultural results and palatability. — L. R. Waldron. 



1111. Breakwell, E. Bokhara Clover on the southern table-lands. Agric. Gaz. New 

 South Wales 31: 67. 1920.— Treats of Melilotus alba.—L. R. Waldron. 



1112. Breasola, M. La devitalizzazione dei semi di Cuscuta. [The killing of Cuscuta 

 seeds.] Staz. Sper. Agr. Ital. 52: 193-207. 1919. — This is a continuation of work which was 

 reported upon in 1913. The purpose of the investigation was without screening to find a 

 method of killing the seeds of Cuscuta in a lot of leguminous seeds. It was found that 

 due to the different sizes of the seeds of C. arvensis and C. Trifolii screening would not 

 separate the former from seeds of Trifolium. The method devised w r as that of heating 

 the lot; incidentally it was found that the seeds of Mcdicago saliva, Trifolium pratense, Tri- 

 folium repens and Lotus corniculatus did not lose their vitality when exposed to the temper- 

 atures of experiment, i.e., 65°C. for one and two hours, 70°C. for one hour and 75 P C. for one 

 hour. In fact it was found that the number of seeds of these leguminosae germinating was in 

 some cases greater after the treatment. The striking advantage was also found that the 

 seeds of Cuscuta most easily screened out of seeds of the legume was the one that seemed 

 to resist heat a little better (C. Trifolii) while the other (0. arvensis) was most easily killed. 

 When tried in soil, the germinability of the two was found to decrease from 43.6 per cent to 

 ll.S per cent in C. Trifolii and from 55.6 per cent to 0.2 per cent for C. arvensis Avhen heated 

 for one hour at 75 °C. — A. Bonazzi. 



