GRASSES OP IOWA. 



99 



samples. I have quoted from a very good table of purities 

 compiled by C. L. Parsons,* and have also given the tabulated 

 results of various tt-sts collated by myself. The standards of 

 purity estaolished by the U. S. Department of Agriculture in 

 1896 and tho-e of McCarthy f in lo9i areal.-o given. 



Poa pratensis. Blue grass. — The seed of blue grass is not 

 often purposely adult rated and is usually quite pure seed. It 

 contains relatively little of weed seeds, and the impurities con- 

 sist of small amounts of sand, dirt and sticks, with often a 

 large per cent of chaff. 



TABLE NO. I. 



Agrostis vulgains. Red top. — There is little adulteration of 

 red top seed. Rolfs reports one sample containing much quartz 

 sand. When it is allowed to ripen until the seed shells out a 

 large amount of empty chaff will be found in the packets. It 

 usually contains dirt and the seeds of such low-ground plants- 

 as dock, plantain, buttercup, sedges and timothy. 



TABLE NO. IL 



Dactylis glomerata. Orchard grass. — The condition of orchard 

 grass seed was thoroughly investigated at the Connecticut 

 Experiment Station in 1892. J Their results were summarized. 

 as follows: 



*A summary of American seed tests. Agrl. Scl. 7: 541-545. 



tYearb. U. S. Dept. Agrl. 1896: 62J-624. 



Oona. Agr. Exp. Statloa. Aan. Report 1892:152-151. 



