MASSACHUSETTS STATE 



Agricultural Experiment Station 



BULLETIN" nSTo. lO. 



JUNE, 1884. 



206. OBSERVATIONS REGARDING THE VITALITY OF 

 THE SEED OF VARIOUS WEEDS, AND THE 

 CAUSES OF CERTAIN DISEASES OF 

 GRASSES. 



The several subjects submitted to me for answers by the Board of 

 Control have been carefully investigated and I am able to make the 

 following report : — 



1. Howis the vitality of the seeds of our most common weeds, 

 such as dock, sorrel, chickweed, shepherd's purse, white daisy, etc., 

 etc., affected by the action of the digestive organs of animals? 



Answer. Seeds of the dock, sorrel, daisy and shepherd's puise 

 were fed to a horse and the refuse collected. Upon careful examina- 

 tion it was found that the seeds, unless crushed, were uninjured and 

 germinated readily when placed in soil under proper conditions of 

 heat and moisture. The experiment was repeated several times with 

 the same result. 



2. How is the vitality of the common weed seeds, like the above, 

 affected by the action of the compost-heap ? 



Answer. Having settled the point that weed seeds are not de- 

 stroyed by the action of the digestive oro;ans of animals, it becomes 

 important to know how their vitality may be destroyed ; for while the 

 thorough farmer should never allow weeds to mature their seed on his 

 farm, there are many instances where it becomes necessary to provide 

 some means by which chance seeds may be destroyed. A series of 

 experiments were carried out, the result of which is, that seeds are 

 destroyed if exposed to a temperature of from 90° to 1\0^ F. for 

 from five to seven days in a moist compost-heap. In a dry compost- 

 heap, where the temperature runs as high as the above, the 

 seeds were found but little injured. The tests were applied only to 

 the above named seeds, but it is probable that the results would be 

 the same upon others as these are among the seeds of the greatest 

 vitality. The efficiency of this mode of destruction depends upon the 



