375 



ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1911 OF THE 

 BOTANIST. 



The total numbei- of inquiries dealt with in the Botanical 

 Department between November 30, 1910, and November 30, 

 101 1, amounted to 420 as against 360 in the preceding twelve 

 months. 



The majority of these were concerned with the germina- 

 tion and purity of agricultural seeds. Thirtj^-seven specimens 

 of weeds and about a dozen specimens of grasses were sent 

 for identification. Fungoid diseases of farm crops, fruits, 

 and a few ornamental plants accounted for forty inquiries. 

 General inquiries, including such subjects as the formation 

 and renovation of pastures, the poisonous nature of various 

 plants, the suitability of certain varieties of wheat and barley 

 for particular districts, the value of acorns for feeding, &c., 

 numl)ered about fifty. A few inquiries were received from 

 the Colonies. These for the most part were requests for 

 samples of various kinds of farm seeds or for information 

 where reliable stocks of the seed of our common agricultural 

 crops could be obtained. Samples of seeds were also received 

 for testing from the Government Biologist of New Zealand in 

 order that the results obtained by our methods might be 

 compared with those obtained by the methods in use in that 

 country. 



Purity and Germination of Seeds. 



The inquiries made by Members of the Society necessitated 

 making 180 complete analyses, either in duplicate or triplicate, 

 in order to determine the real value of the samples submitted 

 for testing. Two hundred and five samples were examined for 

 purity : many of these were received about sowing time with 

 the request that an immediate reply should be sent as to 

 whether the seed was of sufficiently good quality for planting. 

 Whilst the hurried examination which can be made under such 

 conditions is not altogether satisfactory, it is often better to 

 adopt this course than to sow untested seeds, for liesides 

 determining the purity one can often say whether the germina- 

 tion of such seeds as those of the clovers and some of the 

 grasses is likely to prove good or bad. 



The quality of the seeds which have been tested has, on 

 the whole, been good, and I have only had to condemn two 

 samples as being unfit for planting. Both of these were clovers. 

 One, a sample of Broad Red clover, contained nearly 50 per 

 cent, of such impurities as docks, geranium, plantain, and 

 campion. On inquiring as to its source I was told that it was 

 bought from a farmer who had saved a clover crop for seed, 



