36 



JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 



[Vol. 9 



The result of this experiment iiKhcated that crude carbohc acid or 

 any stock dip composed largely of crude carbolic acid and creosote 

 would practically protect the seed. A number of farmers who had 

 followed this experiment immediately began treating their seed with 

 these substances and in every case they obtained an excellent stand. 



The results of the work in 1912 were so promising that in 1913 

 crude carboUc acid and commercial dip, composed of carbolic acid and 

 creosote, were recommended generally and many hundreds of acres 

 were planted with treated seed. Many of the fields were visited later 

 and in every case an excellent stand of kafir had been obtained. 

 The lowest germination reported by any farmer was 75 per cent. 



A continuation of the experiments in 1914 began to show manj' 

 varying results. In many cases very few seeds would germinate when 

 dipped in crude carbolic acid and in other cases the treated seed ger- 

 minated as well or better than the check. Table IV gives the results 

 of a number of germination experiments conducted during 1914. 



Table IV. Showing Effect of Cride Carbolic Acid on Germination of Seed 



In each case one- hundred seeds were dipped in crude carbolic acid 

 and either planted at once or allowed to dry for twenty-four hours. 

 The results in this table are taken for a series of several hundred ger- 

 mination experiments and are typical of the results obtained. It is 

 noticeable that there is a wide range in the per cents of germination 

 in the treated seeds and that this is also true in the checks. There is 



