SEEDS WEEDS. 1051 



weeds by chemical means, and a detailed description of the author's 

 experiments made in 1801) to determine the best chemicals and the 

 quantities required for their destruction. The method of application, 

 whether in the form of a solution or powder, was also investigated. 

 From the results of his experiments the author states that iron sul- 

 phate in 15 per cent solutions, at the rate of 500 liters per hectare, 

 gave the most satisfactory results, when cost of materials and efficiency 

 were considered. Copper sulphate in a 5 per cent solution, at the 

 same rate, was equally efficient, but was more expensive. The method 

 of application showed decidedly in favor of spraying with solutions. 

 In addition to the efi'ect of the solutions upon the weeds, the amount 

 of injury to crops in which the weeds were growing was noted and 

 reported. The crops sprayed with the herbicides were oats, barley, 

 wheat, rye, red clover, peas, vetches, potatoes, and sugar beets. 



The author sums up his observations with the statement that spray- 

 ing with metallic salt solutions must not be considered as a universal 

 means for weed destruction. The solutions killed wild mustard and 

 wild radish, and seriously injured curly dock, black bindweed, dande- 

 lion, sow thistle, and senecio, but had little or no eifect on the poppies, 

 chenopodiums, euphorbias, cornflower, field thistle, chamomile, bind- 

 weed, couch grass, bent grass, or equisetums. Little or no injury to 

 field crops was observed when the solutions were sprayed over cereals, 

 red clover, or sugar beets, the plants readily recovering from the slight 

 injury inflicted. Field peas were considerably afi'ected, and vetches 

 and potatoes badly injured. The best time to spray for tJie destruc- 

 tion of charlock and nuistard is when the plants are from -i to 7 cm. 

 high, or aljout the time the plants have 3 or -J- leaves, and before they 

 begin to flower. 



Red clover seed, A. J. Pieters {U. S. Depl. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 123, pjx 11, figs. 

 2). — Red clover seed and its more common adulterants and mixtures are described 

 and notes are given showing the results of tests made of different samples of clover 

 seed. The ]nire and germinable seed in the samples ranged from 53.26 per cent to 

 95.8 per cent. The calculated price of the different lots reported upon varied from 

 $4.74 to 19.00 per bushel. Field tests of a number of American and European clovers 

 are briefly reported upon. Thirty-live samples of European and American clovers 

 were sown in jjlats 1 rod square. The sowings were made the latter part of April and 

 the condition of the plants throughout the season is indicated. At the end of June 

 the average condition of the European plats was slightly better than that of the 

 American, but from that time on there was a decided change to the advantage of the 

 American grown seed. The effect of the summer heat was very injurious to the 

 European varieties. In July and September all the plats were mown, the green fodder 

 weighed and the amount calculated per acre. The average yield of green clover for 

 theeeason, from the American seed, was 12,704 lbs., and the European 7,792 lbs. 



Report of seed testing-, Baessler {Ber. Agr. Chem.,Vers. u. Samencontrol Sta., 

 1900, pp. 14-16). — A report is given upon the testing of 1,085 samples of seeds, an 

 increase of nearly 50 per cent over the previous year. Especial attention was given 

 the presence of dodder seeds in clover and grass seeds. Dodder seed was found in 



