750 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



White clover seed imported from Europe is often infested with most 

 of the kinds of weed seeds enumerated. American-grown seed may carry 

 seeds of dock, night-flowering catchfly, false flax, English charlock, wild 

 carrot, rat-tail plantain, buckhorn, oxeye daisy, witch-grass, green fox- 

 tail, sorrel, lam'b's-quarters, etc. The absence of seeds usually found 

 only in seed imported from Europe is mostly suggestive of the domestic 

 origin of white clover seed. 



The weed seeds fairly characteristic of European-grown white clover 

 seed, especially when taken collectively, include: Clover dodder, wild 

 spurry, chickweed, forked catchfly, wild geranium, red pimpernel, forget- 

 me-not, field madder, wild corn salad, scentless camomile, hawkweed picris. 



TESTIXG CBIMSON CLOVER SEED. 



The seed of crimson clover is larger than that of the other clovers, the 

 individual seeds being elliptical and so 

 — , sr~ T^ slightly flattened that they roll readily on 



a flat surface. Fresh seed is pinkish and 

 .j '•„-■' has a bright luster. As the seed ages it be- 

 comes dull and reddish brown. The viabil- 

 ^ / |» ity deteriorates rapidly. 

 ~" ^ Adulteration is confined chiefly to the use 



<j*> ' of old seed, which may usually be distin- 



_. nF . „ . . . guished by its color. Considerable trefoil 



Fig-. 25. — Seeds of crimson 

 clover (enlarged and nat- and red clover screenings sometimes appear. 



Dodder occurs only in lots containing dod- 

 der-infested red clover screenings, because the crimson clover is harvested 

 before dodder seed matures. 



Most of the crimson clover seed in the American market is imported 

 from Europe. American seed is produced chiefly in Delaware, New Jer- 

 sey and Maryland. A white-seeded variety of crimson clover is imported 

 from Europe. 



The purity of this seed should be 99 per cent or higher. The viability 

 should be 95 or 99 per cent. Very little hard seed appears in the germi- 

 nation test, which ranges from two to six days in duration. 



The noxious weed seeds found in crimson clover seed include: Chess, 

 darnel, dock, black bindweed, corn cockle, white campion, bladder cam- 

 pion, night-flowering catchfly, pennycress, field peppergrass, false flax, 

 ball mustard, black mustard, English charlock, Indian mustard, hare's- 

 ear mustard, wild carrot, clover dodder, field dodder, corn gromwell, rat- 

 tail plantain, buckhorn, oxeye daisy, Canada thistle, wild chicory. 



Other weed seeds commonly found in crimson clover seed include: 

 Crab-grass, witch-grass, yellow foxtail, green foxtail, soft chess, sorrel, 

 knotweed, pale knotweed, lamb's-quarters, wild spurry, chickweeds, forked 

 catchfly, creeping buttercup, peppergrass, shepherd's purse, hop clover, 

 yellow trefoil, bird's-foot trefoil, three kinds of wild geranium, stork's- 

 bill, spurge, red pimpernel, forget-me-not, vervain, healall, rough-leaved 

 toad-flax, smaller broad-leaved plantain, dwarf plantain, field madder, 

 cleavers, wild corn salad, dog fennel, field camomile, scentless camomile, 

 corn flower, cats-ear, hawkweed picris. 



