SEEDS WEEDS. 



955 



In conclusion the authors have given in tabulated form the most 

 important data regarding the germination of 22 of the more common 

 grass seeds. 



Concerning the effect of formic aldehyde on germination, R. 

 Windisch (Landw. Vers. Stat, 49 ( 1897), No. 3, pp. 2,23-226).— A report 

 is given of experiments with wheat, barley, oats, and rye in which the 

 seed was soaked for 24 hours in solutions of formic aldehyde varying in 

 strength from 0.013 to 0.4 per cent, comparisons being made with seed 

 soaked for the same time in distilled water. The seed was germinated 

 between layers of filter paper which were kept constantly moistened, 

 and the seedlings were counted every 24 hours. The duration of the 

 experiments was from 12 to 10 days. It was found that the weakest 

 solution retarded the germination of barley, wheat, and rye, but was 

 favorable to the germination of oats. The strongest solution injured 

 all the seed. The following table shows the average percentage of seed 

 of each kind that germinated under the influence of the different 

 strengths of the solution : 



Effect of formic aldehyde on germination. 



Kind of seed. 



Barley 



Wheat 

 Oats.. 



Eye... 



Distilled 



water. 



Per cent. 

 96. 50 



98.00 

 97.00 

 96.25 



Strength of solution. 



0.02 



Per cent. 



95. 50 

 97.25 

 99.50 

 93.50 



Pel <•< nt. 

 97.50 

 1)7. 25 

 99.25 

 91.50 



Per cent 

 89.00 



88. 50 

 96.50 

 05. 25 



I'er cent. 



47.00 



9.25 



95.50 



20. 50 



0.20 



Per cent. 











64.5 







Per cent. 



In every case there were duplicate experiments, and where the differ- 

 ence was more than 5 per cent the experiments were repeated. 



Germination tests in soil and in bare earthen cups, L. F. Kinney 

 and G. E. Adams {Rhode Island Sta. Upt. 1896, pp. 193-202). — The 

 authors report upon parallel tests of 151 lots of seeds in which the 

 germinations were made in soil and in bare porous cups, duplicate sam- 

 ples in every case being used. Of the total number of tests made only 

 17 gave a higher percentage of germination in the soil than in the cups. 

 In many cases the germinations were exactly the same in each. As a 

 whole the results of the soil tests averaged slightly lower than those in 

 the germinators. The object of the experiment was to verify by means 

 of soil germinations those made in the germinators, and in this manner 

 arrive at a proper estimation of the value of seed so far as may be 

 determined by its vitality. The results of the experiment are tabulated, 

 showing the usual data of such tests. 



Report of the Hamburg seed control station, O. Burchard 

 (Jahresber. Agr. Bot. Vers. Stat, und Samen-Prufungsanstalt zu Hamburg, 

 1898, VII, pp. 11). — A report is given of the investigations conducted 

 at the station during the year ending June 30, 1897. The principal 

 lines of investigation reported upon are seed testing, examination of 



