SEEDS WEEDS. 



845 



The following table gives the percentages of germination of seed 

 soaked in different enzym solutions, 50 or 100 seeds being used in 

 every case: 



(Termination of seed soaked in enzym solution*. 



1 Where two figures are given, the first indicates double strength of solo lien. 



The following tentative generalizations are given: 



" In some cases the percentage of germination in Beeds is greatly increased l>y soak 

 ing for several hours in a solution containing some active enzym or enzj ms. 



"The vigor of the young plant lets is often enhanced at the same time. 



"Within limits these beneficial effects increase with the strength of the enzym 

 solution. 



"Diastase, either from malt or from various commercial preparations, seems to be 

 most useful. 



"Tomato seeds seem to respond especially well to the action of eit/yins, particu- 

 larly to the action of diastase." 



Weeds and seeds, F. L. Harvey (Maine Sta. Ept. lS96,pp. 113- 

 116). — Several causes for the distribution and spread of weeds are dis- 

 cussed, and the attention of farmers and others is called to the sources 

 of distribution. The author believes that more bad weeds are intro- 

 duced into the State through grain brought in by the carload for feed 

 than by means of seeds. A lot of oats which had been brought from 

 the West was purchased from a local dealer, who represented it as 

 cleaned seed and charged several cents per bushel above the market 

 price for it. Examination of a pound of this seed showed the presence 

 of 1,100 mustard seed, 576 black bindweed, 111 goosefoot, 13 smart- 

 weed and sorrel, 28 flaxseed, 20 grass seed, several foxtail, 4 wild 

 morning glory, 3 bugloss, and several seeds of G different kinds of 

 Composite. Another sample examined (8 oz. of foul seed screened 

 from oats bought for seed) contained seeds of the following: Black 

 mustard, English charlock, jointed charlock, shepherd's purse, pig- 

 weed, bindweed, smartweed, bugloss, flaxseed, morning glory, several 



