METHODS OF CONTROL 189 



way. Treating the seed with the acid for 

 one hour will greatly reduce its percentage 

 of germination, and by prolonging the 

 treatment to one and a half hours, germina- 

 tion will be inhibited altogether. 



Soaking the seed in a solution of one 

 pint of formaldehyde in 30 gallons of 

 water for ten minutes will also destroy 

 spores which adhere to the seed coat. The 

 formaldehyde treatment however does not 

 seem to help the germination of the seed. 

 It should not be expected that the seed 

 treatment will remove all evils. It is only 

 beneficial in that it kills all spores of 

 parasitic fungi which may adhere to the 

 seed coat. Seeds which are diseased and 

 which have their interior tissue invaded by 

 parasitic organisms will not be benefited 

 by the treatment, since the chemical cannot 

 penetrate the seed to reach the interior 

 lodging parasite. The use and selection 



