240 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



and yielded 6,541 lbs. of hay. Soy beans planted in April in rows 3 ft. apart and 

 cultivated twice yielded \\ tons of cured hay per acre. 



Wyoming- forage plants and their chemical composition— studies No. 1, 

 H. G. Knight. F. E. Hepxer, and A. Nelson ( Wyoming Sta. Bui. 65, pp. 52, pi. 1, 

 figs. 18). — The forage conditions of Wyoming are briefly discussed, and the botanical 

 and general description and the analyses of green and air-dry substance of the fol- 

 lowing plants are given: Western wheat grass (Agropyron octidentale), northern wheat 

 grass (A. dasystachyum) , bearded wheat grass (A. caninum), slender wheat grass (A. 

 tenerum), western couch grass (A pmulorepens) , Indian millet (Eriocoma cuspidata), 

 yellow spear grass (Poa lucida), Buckley spear grass (P. buckleyana), rough fescue 

 (Festuca scabrella), squirrel-tail grass (Hordeum jubalum), native hay, alfalfa (Medi- 

 cago sativa) , fringed bro me grass (Bromus ciliatus), alkali meadow grass (PuccineUia 

 airoides ), Nelson needlegrass (Stipa nelsonU), tufted hair grass (Deschampsia caespitosa) 1 

 Bodin vetch (Astragal us bodini), pretty milk vetch (.1. elegans), woodland hedysarum 

 (Hedysarum philoscia), winter fat (Erotia lanata), wire grass or Baltic rush (Juncus 

 balticus), Nuttall saltbush (Atriplex nuttallii), tumbling saltbush (A. volutaiis), Austra- 

 lian saltbushes (A. semibaccata, A. halimoides, and A. holoearpa), and sweet or Bokhara 

 clover (Melilotus alba). 



[Experimental work upon weeds and forage plants], L. R. Waldkon (North 

 Dakota Sta. Rpt. 1904, pt. 1, pp. 56-64). — This study on the vitality of weed seeds is 

 in continuation of previously described work (E. S. R., 16, p. 882). 



In 1899 a quantity of weed seeds was buried at different depths to ascertain the 

 effect of this treatment on germination. In June, 1904, samples of these seeds were 

 dug up and tested. Over 200 seeds of French weed showed no germination at first, 

 but when dried and tested again 3 months later nearly 90 per cent grew. Green fox- 

 tail seeds buried 5 in. gave a germination of 8J percent, and seeds buried 10 in. deep, 

 6| per cent. Of 15 seeds of Kinghead buried 10 in. deep 4 germinated, while of the 

 shallow 7 seedings no growth was obtained. Wild mustard gave the following results 

 from the different depths: Three inches 26| per cent, 5 in. 16, 7 in. 27, and 10 in. 11 

 per cent. Wild buckwheat and wild oat seeds all decayed. 



In some special observations on the French weed the following 3 classes of seed 

 w T ere studied: Seed gathered with grain and sown with it the following spring, seed 

 from winter annual plants which falls to the ground in June, and seed from spring 

 plants which falls to the ground in July. Not any of the seed germinated until Sep- 

 tember, which allows the plant to develop sufficiently to live overwinter. It is con- 

 cluded that this weed is pernicious only as a winter annual, and that proper harrowing 

 before seeding and plowing the land in the spring will reduce its prevalence. Obser- 

 vations on peppergrass (Lepidium apetalum) and tumbling mustard (Sisymbrium aMs- 

 simum) led to the same conclusion. 



The relative aggressiveness of different weeds was determined by sowing on May 10, 

 1904, 800 seeds each of 6 different species — Russian pigweed (Axyris amarantltoides), 

 tumbling mustards, wild mustard (Brassica arvensis), French weed, false flax (Came* 

 I 'ma saliva), and ball mustard (Xesla pauiculata). On July 19, when the plants had 

 attained their maximum size, there were found 520 plants of false flax, 356 of wild 

 mustard, 281 of Russian pigweed, 195 of ball mustard, 24 of French weed, and 3 of 

 tumbling mustard. 



The results of spraying weeds with different solutions indicated that Thistleine, a 

 preparation for the destruction of weeds, has no special value over sodium arsenite 

 or copper sulphate. The cost of this substance is also much more than either of the 

 other chemicals. It is stated that if Canada thistles are killed by spraying, this is 

 caused by the destruction of the foliage and not by a distribution of the poison 

 through the plant. It was observed that a relatively long period of time elapses after 

 spraying before the thistles again begin to grow, and this is considered as possibly 



