12. 



rel ("Rumex acetosella), yellow trefoil (Medicago lupulina), burr 

 clover (Medicago denticulata), sweet clover (Melilotus alba and 

 officinalis) black mustard (Brassica nigra), plantain, buckhorn 

 (Plantago lanceolata), bracted plantain (Plantago aristata), 

 bindweed (Convolvulus sepium), smooth crab grass (Panicum 

 glabrum), common chickweed (Stellaria media). When such 

 impurities or any of them are present in quantity exceeding a 

 total of two per cent of the weight of said agricultural seeds, the 

 approximate percentage of each shall be plainly indicated in 

 statement specified in Section One (1) of this act. 



It will be seen from the above extracts that seed cannot be 

 sold that contains more than two per cent (2%) of the weeds 

 specified in Section Eleven. An amendment was made to Sec- 

 tion Ten stating that the weeds specified therein must not be 

 present in quantities of more than one in ten thousand, and 

 that due diligence has been used to find and remove said seeds. 



The Iowa law has greatly improved the quality of seed sold in 

 the state. The farmers are demanding a better quality of seed. 

 The seed merchants will supply the demand but the seeds can- 

 not to be sold for the same price. In cleaning there is consider- 

 able loss and the farmer should be willing to pay for this. It 

 will cost more to remove the bad weeds than the additional 

 price paid for the better seed. 



SOME WEED SEEDS 



Characters of a Few Weed Seeds. The seeds of Canada, thistle 

 are about 1-8 of an inch long, lance shaped in outline, tapering 

 towards the base, the upper part is cup shaped, with a yellowish 

 rim, a conspicuous point appearing in the center. The Bull 

 thistle is much like it, but larger. The seeds of dodder vary 

 from 1-16 to 1-24 of an inch in diameter, somewhat flattened 

 and egg-shaped ; the color varies from yellowish to light or dark 

 green, rough and dull, not smooth as in clover and alfalfa. 

 There are two forms of dodder, the field dodder with large seeds 

 and the clover dodder. The seeds of quack grass are sometimes 

 difficult to distinguish from some related species and should be 

 submitted to a botanist. Bull. 115 of the Iowa Agricultural Ex- 

 periment Station describes them. 



The seeds of Ribgrass or Buckhorn are about 1-10 of an inch 

 long, shiny, smooth, dark brown, the back is convex, the rounded 

 edges folded inwardly forming a. rim. The long longitudinal 

 groove of the inner face with a dark colored spot in middle. The 

 Bracted plantain is a smaller seed broader and light brown in 

 color, a long groove in the center, on the back is a circle. Two 

 light colored circular areas in groove are characteristic. The 

 seed of the Common plantain is black, roughened, flattened with 



