376 



Missouri Agricultural Report. 



®%^ 



'^AV. 



Fig. 25. — Seeds of crimson 

 clover (enlarged and nat- 

 ural size). 



TESTING CRIMSON CLOVER SEED. 



The seed of crimson clover is larger than that of the other clovers, 



the individual seeds being elliptical and so 

 slightly flattened that they roll readily on a 

 flat surface (fig. 25). Fresh seed is pinkish 

 and has a bright luster. As the seed ages it 

 becomes dull and reddish brown. The viabili- 

 ty deteriorates rapidly. 



Adulteration is confined chiefly to the use 

 of old seed, which may usually be distin- 

 guished by its color. Considerable trefoil and red clover screenings some- 

 times appear. Dodder occurs only in lots containing dodder-infested red 

 clover screenings, because the crimson clover is harvested before dodder 

 seed matures. 



Most of the crimson clover seed in the American market is imported 

 from Europe. American seed is produced chiefly in Delaware, New 

 Jersey and Maryland. A white-seeded variety of crimson clover is im- 

 ported from Europe. 



The purity of this seed should be 99 per cent or higher. The viabil- 

 ity should be 98 or 99 per cent. Verj'^ little hard seed appears in the 

 germination test, which ranges from two to six days in duration. 



The noxious weed seeds found in crimson clover seed include: (Fig. i/) chess 

 (c), darnel (d), dock (f), black bindweed (g), corn cockle (i), white campion 

 (j), bladder campion (k), night-flowering catchfly (1), pennycress (n), field 

 peppergrass (o), false flax (p, q), ball mustard (r), black mustard (s), English 

 charlock (t) ; (fig. i8) Indian mustard (a), hare's-ear mustard (b), wild carrot 

 (d), clover dodder (g), field dodder (i), corn gromwell (k), rat-tail plantain 

 (1), buckhorn (m), oxeye daisy (q), Canada thistle (r), wild chicory (t). 



Other weed seeds commonly found in crimson clover seed include: 

 (Fig. 19) crab-grass (a), witch-grass (b), yellow foxtail (c), green fox- 

 tail (d), soft chess (f), sorrel (h), knotweed (i), pale knotweed (j), lamb's- 

 ciuarters (1), wild spurry (p), chickweeds (q and r), forked catchfly (t) ; (fig. 

 20) creeping buttercup (a), peppergrass (b), shepherd's purse (c), hop clover 

 (e), yellow trefoil (f), bird's-foot trefoil (g), three kinds of wild geranium 

 (h, i and j). stork's bill (k), spurge (1), red pimpernel (o), forget-me-not (q), 

 vervain (r) ; (fig. 21) healall (b). rough-leaved toadflax (c), smaller broad- 

 leaved plantain (d), dwarf plantain (f), field madder (g), cleavers (h), wild 

 corn salad (i and j), dog fennel (m), field camomile (n), scentless camomile 

 (o), corn flower Cp), cat's-ear (q), hawkweed picris (s). 



Crimson clover seed of domestic production is often characterized 

 by the presence of one or more of several kinds of weed seeds, some of 

 which are not considered in this bulletin. Two of these kinds, however, 

 are spurge (fig. 20, 1) and dwarf plantain (fig. 21, f). The absence of 



