832 WEED FLORA OF IOWA 



sional instances in whieli burr clover (Medicago denticulata) and 

 sweet clover {Melilatus alba) occurred. The most noxious weed 

 seeds found were the docks and the English plantain. The average 

 germination of alfalfa seed was 83 per cent. The subject is also 

 briefly discussed by Ten Byck. 



Prof. Roberts and Mr. Freeman also made quite an exhaustive 

 study of the grass seeds commonly sold in Kansas. The dodder 

 may prove to be a destructive clover parasite in the United States. 

 Mt. Brown, in a paper on legal and customary weights per bushel 

 of seeds, has also brought together much important matter on the 

 subject of the weight of commercial seeds. 



Maine. — ^Prof. Harvey and other members of the staff of the 

 Maine Experiment Station investigated the vitality and the im- 

 purity found in the agricultural seeds offered for sale in that 

 state. The results of Prof. Harvey's investigations disclosed the 

 advisability of having a law to regulate the sale of seeds. Such 

 a law was passed by the state of Maine and the work of carrying 

 on this law was placed in the hands of the director of the Station. 



The results of the tests and regulations concerning the seed 

 testing for Maine were published by Charles D. "Woods, director 

 of the Station. In a subsequent bulletin he discusses seed inspec- 

 tion and lists 79 kinds of weed seed. With Hammond the require- 

 ments of the law are given as well as results of seed testing. 



Minnesota. — ^W. L. Oswald, Bulletin 127 of the Minnesota Station 

 gives the results of purity and germination tests for 1275 samples 

 of commercial seed. 



North Carolina. — ^McCarthy in an early bulletin of the North 

 Carolina Statipn reported on the analyses of seed in 1912. 0. I. 

 Tillman reported on the analyses of commercial seed in accordance 

 with the North. Carolina pure seed act. 



Kentucky. — Prof. Garman and others, of the Kentucky Experi- 

 ment Station, have investigated the impurities in grass and other 

 forage plants sold in Kentucky. It was found that thirty-six of 

 the five hundred samples examined were adulterated; among these 

 were red clover, blue grass, timothy and orchard grass. They con- 

 cluded that the greatest fraud perpetrated is in the sale of certain 

 varieties under an assumed name. In several publications Prof. 

 Garman discussed the impurities and adulterations of grass seed 

 sold in Kentucky and recommended that no field seeds should be 

 sold in Kentucky containing more than 5 per cent weed seeds. 

 He also gave a comprehensive account of seed testing apparatus 



