EUROPEAN OCCUPATION 535 



Leontodon Taraxacum Sinapis arvensis 



Prunella vulgaris Papaver argemone 



Veronica Chamesdrys „ Rhceas 



Cuscuta Trifolii or Trifolium repens and T. pratense. 



Similar experiences have occurred, but have not been recorded, 

 many thousand of times in the intervening years. 



In all agricultural seeds imported into the country a certain pro- 

 portion of seeds of foreign plants is introduced, amounting in the 

 aggregate to many millions. The number of those which do not 

 grow, or if they germinate, do not succeed in establishing them- 

 selves, is very remarkable. 



In recent years the Agricultural Department has set up a seed- 

 testing bureau at its experimental farm of Weraroa, near Levin, and 

 has drawn up a "List of Extraneous Seeds found in Commercial 

 Samples of Seed, showing relative frequency of occurrence of each, 

 and whether harmful or otherwise." The list for 1916 contains the 

 names of 224 species of plants, all except three being introduced 

 species. It included the following twenty species which have never 

 yet been observed growing in the country, although evidently the 

 seeds are introduced from time to time: ' 



Alyssum alyssoides Lolium westioolticum 



Anthemis austriaca Matricaria discoidea 



Camelina ndcrocarpa Odontites rubra 



Carex cephalophara Omithopus sativus 



Centaurea picris Plantago aristata 

 Crepis capillaris „ Rugeli 



Erysimum cheiranthoides Rudheckia hirta 



Geranium pusillum Setaria italica 



Lepidium intermedium Triodia Thompsoni 



„ virginicum Verbena urticifolia 



In this connection it is very remarkable to notice the number of 

 foreign seeds inti-oduced into this country with agricultural seeds, 

 but which do not grow^. 



^ The following newly introduced grasses were placed in the trial beds at 

 Ruakura Farm in 1909: 



Agropyrum tenerum (slender wheat- Ecrucaria cuspidata 



grass, U.S.A.) Panicum brazilianum 



A. Smithii (western wheat-grass, P. paranensis 



U.S.A.) Panicum sp. Giant-couch 



Bromus pacificus P. altissimum 



Bouteloua curtipendula Paspalum stoloniferum 



Briza geniculata Phalaris ceerulescens 



Chloris abyssirdca Piptatherum Thomasii 



C. barbata Sporobolus Wrightii 



Elymus submuticus Tristegis glutinosa 



E. canadensis Urdola speciosa 



E. giganteus Vilfa arguti 

 Erianthes ravennce 



