1048 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



1.05 per cent for maize to 13.22 per cent for flaxseed. It is further 

 stated that maize and barley soaked for 30 days at 18° 0. lost 33.7 and 

 27.12 per cent, respectively, of their dried weight. The author states 

 that, notwithstanding the injurious effects of soaking seeds, the Japan- 

 ese farmers are accustomed to soak their rice seeds for a number of 

 days, generally from 3 weeks to, in some cases, 100 or more days 

 before planting. The effect of this soaking for a long time on the ger- 

 mination of seed is noted, and it is said that 120 days' soaking destroys, 

 even in favorable cases, 20 or 30 per cent of the seeds, and those sur- 

 viving germinate with difficulty. Experiments were conducted in which 

 rice seed was soaked in pure water for 100 days, after which the seed 

 was dried and found to have lost 12.018 per cent of its dry matter. 

 This loss is distributed as follows: Organic matter 11.955, composed 

 of nitrogenous material 1.09(5 percent and nonnitrogenous 10.259 per 

 cent, and ash 0.003 per cent. Attention is called to the fact that 

 in the water in which the seed has been soaked for this length of time 

 a very small number of bacteria was to be found, the water remain- 

 ing remarkably clear and not showing any discoloration, such as is 

 usually found after soaking seed for a much shorter period. 



The influence of ether upon the germination of seeds and spores, 

 C. O. Townsend (Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci., 47 (1898), pp. 409, 410).— 

 In order to determine the effect of ether upon the germination of seeds 

 and spores, seeds soaked for 21 hours in pure water were transferred to- 

 ft series of air-tight damp chambers holding 1 liter and containing, 

 respectively, 1, 2.5, 5, and 10 cc. of ether dissolved in 100 cc. of water. 

 The customary checks were maintained for comparison. It was found 

 that 1 cc. of ether hastened the processes of germination slightly, but 

 the subsequent growth of the seedlings was somewhat retarded. In 

 those chambers containing 2.5 and 5 cc. of ether germination was con- 

 siderably retarded, and an atmosphere containing 10 cc. prevented seeds 

 from germinating. If seeds were removed from this strong atmosphere 

 of ether at the end of from 7 to 10 days and placed under favorable 

 conditions they germinated as readily as if they had not been placed 

 in the ether atmosphere. On the other hand, if the seeds remained in 

 the strong atmosphere of ether 2 weeks they seemed to lose their vital- 

 ity. Similar results were obtained by placing spores upon plates of 

 gelatin containing 10 cc. of sugar and placing the plates in a chamber 

 containing ether vapors. 



"Weeds of cornfields, L. H. Pammel (Iowa Sta. Bui. 39, pp. 25-52 r 

 pl. l,fi(js. 38). — Various classifications of weeds are given, based upon 

 their origin and duration. The most serious weed pests in the corn- 

 fields of Iowa are the foxtail grasses, the bindweed (Convolvulus 

 seplum), nut grass, and, in wet soils, the purple smartweed (Polygonum 

 muhlenbergii). Of these, the foxtail grasses are the most troublesome. 

 Descriptions are given of the most conspicuous weeds, together with 

 maps showing their distribution throughout the State. Notes are given 

 on the general treatment of cornfields for the eradication of weeds and 

 some specific directions for destroying certain species. 



