THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 79 



fornia and determined by him as the ground bur-nat, Trihulus terrestris. 

 Regarding it he also made the following comments : 



"It is an undesirable immigrant which is becoming well estab- 

 lished in the upper San Joaquin Valley, spreading especially from 

 the railroads. It has also quite recently appeared in the coast side 

 of the mountains." 

 No other information regarding the weed was received by this office 

 until September 26, 1913, when Mr. H. H. Bowman, Horticultural 

 Commissioner of Placer County, forwarded specimens, asking for a 

 determination, which was again made by Professor Hall. I have since 

 been informed by Carl J. Ley, Horticultural Commissioner of Glenn 

 County, that he has taken the weed in his county. 



The exact distribution of the plant has not yet been definitely settled 

 but in all probability it is quite widely scattered by this time. As little 

 is known relative to the seriousness of it as a pest a letter was directed 

 to the Chief of the Bureau of Plant Industry, U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture, under date of October 14, 1913, and a reply from Mr. H. R. 

 Cox, under date of October 21, follows: 



"Your letter of the l-tth, relative to Tribulus terrestris, is 

 received. 



"This plant, to which the common name of caltrop is given in 

 GraA''s last edition, is an annual plant introduced from Europe 

 and appears to be widely scattered in many parts of the United 

 States from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Our records show that 

 we have had but one inijuiry on this subject which came from New 

 Jersey, the statement accompanying it that it was very abundant 

 that year, some of the plants covering a space of three feet in 

 diameter. I Avould suppose it could be handled in much the same 

 manner as any other annual, that is by preventing seed production. 

 I am sorry w^e can not give you more definite information on this 

 subject. ' ' 



The weed is an annual and control methods as employed against the 

 Russian thistle will in all probability be efficient in handling this pest. 

 ]\Ir. Knowlton, especially, has conducted a vigorous campaign for its 

 extermination and we believe that any such campaign is always advis- 

 able, as prompt action may prove the extinction of what might become 

 a very undesirable weed pest. — E. 0. Essig. 



NOTICE REGARDING SEED TESTING. 



Inasmuch as the Agricultural Experiment Station is maintaining a 

 laboratory for the purpose of testing all kinds of seeds with regard to 

 their purity and germination, the Horticultural Commission has decided 

 to discontinue that particular line of service to the growers. Samples 

 for testing, properly labeled with the name of sender and other dis- 

 tinguishing marks, should be addressed to "The Seed Testing Labora- 

 tory, Agricultural Experiment Station, Berkeley, California. ' ' — Harry 

 S. Smith. 



