AGRICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE. 



177 



of keeping it from spreading commonly practised is to cut 

 the hay early, and thus avoid the maturing of the seeds. In 

 order to ascertain just how elastic this period might be, in 

 July, 1897, a number of daisy blossoms were collected for 

 study. The date of the opening of each blossom was noted, 

 and specimens were taken at various periods from this time on. 

 The following tables show the results: Table I gives the 

 date when the blossoms first opened and when they were col- 

 lected, thus showing the number of days open. It also gives 

 the number of seed tested for each period, and the number 

 that germinated, thus showing the percentage of germination. 



TABLE I. 



o 

 5^ 



Days in 

 bloom. 



No. seed 

 tested. 



Xo, germ- 

 inated. 



Per ct. 

 Kerm. 



davs 



4 

 5 

 G 



o 

 6 



S 



'J 

 10 



20 



•20 



S 



8 



8 



Dead ripe. 



29 i 9 



30 

 20 

 •23 



28 



10 



12 



1.5 



20 " 



Unknown. 



780 



730 



780 



930 



930 



380 



1,030 7 .007 



1,180 iiS .020 



930 28 .030 



1,230 324 .260 



Table II shows only the results of those which germinated, 

 and the date and number of seed used at each test. These 

 observations would lead us to believe that it takes at least 

 twelve days for seed maturity of the daisy after it first blos- 

 soms. 



