338 



Dodder. 



[SEPT., 



of the lower districts of Hungary are prevented from growing 

 lucerne, which formerly thrived there excellently. 



Russia. — According to a report of trials carried out by the 

 ^Agricultural Department of Leeds University the black seeds 

 of European dodder are frequently found in samples of 

 Russian red clover seed. 



Chile. — Samples of clover seeds from this country frequently 

 contain a species of dodder. 



Canada. — Like that exported from the United States clover 

 seeds from Canada rarely contain dodder. 



Neiv Zealand. — Of late years New Zealand has been ex- 

 porting to Great Britain some particularly fine samples of clover 

 seed, clean and of the best quality. It appears to be generally 

 free from dodder. 



Italy. — According to an article in L Agricoltura Moderna for 

 February nth, 1906, dodder is very prevalent in Italy, and many 

 samples of clover examined at the Royal Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station are found to contain the pest. The presence of 

 even a few seeds per kilogram (2-2 lb.) is sufficient to reduce the 

 commercial value of clover seeds, and yet in not a few cases the 

 number of dodder seeds is very great ; 600 to 800 seeds per 

 kilogram are frequently present, and even 3,000 have been 

 found. 



It may perhaps be stated generally that clover seeds are 

 imported into Great Britain from nearly all parts of the world, 

 particularly Germany, France, Austria, Russia, Chile, the United 

 States and Canada. With the exception of the seed from the 

 United States and Canada nearly all these contain more or less 

 dodder, but it is hardly known in the two last named. English- 

 grown seed also rarely contains dodder. Lucerne is chiefly 

 imported from France and the United States, but in much 

 larger quantities from the former. The plant, too, from French 

 seed is altogether superior to the American. Lucerne from 

 these countries hardly ever contains dodder. 



Description of Plates. — PI. I. — (i ) C. trifolii on Red Clover 

 {Trifoliuni pratense) (2) flower; (3) section of calyx with. 

 pistil ; (4) corolla laid open. 



PI. II. — (i) C epili7iuin on Flax {^Linuin usitatissimurn) \ (2), 

 (3) and (4) as in PI. I. 



