191 1.] Sale of a Weed Seed as White Clover. 323 



silver fir 16,500. It was not possible to obtain sufficient 

 labour to permit of transplanting all the seedlings from the 

 seed-beds. Purchases of seed were confined this year to 

 European and Japanese larch and common Sitka spruce. 



In February of this year the Board's attention was directed 

 to a case in which seed alleged to be Trifolium parviflorum, 

 Ehrh., had been offered as white clover 

 Sale of (Trifolium repens, L.). On examina- 



a Weed Seed t - Qn Q f sam pj es a t Kew the identification 

 as White Clover. . . , . „ 



of the seed as T. parviflorum was con- 

 firmed. The plant, which is a native of Central and Southern 

 Europe, is an annual and comparatively worthless. One of 



Fig. 1. Fig. 2. 



Fig. 1. — Trifolium -barviflorum, nat. size and x 7. Fig. 2. — Trifolium repens, 



nat. size and x 7. 



the Board's inspectors was directed to make inquiries into the 

 matter with a view to proceedings under the Merchandise 

 Marks Act, and samples obtained by him, which were offered 

 as Trifolium repens, proved to be T. parviflorum, but the 

 circumstances were not such as to make a prosecution under 

 the Merchandise Marks Act possible. 



The facts which transpired in connection with this case, 

 however, show clearly that great care should be exercised by 

 farmers and seedsmen when purchasing seeds about which 

 there can be any doubt. White clover seed has been scarce 

 this year, and misdescription or adulteration might conse- 

 quently be exceptionally profitable. The Board are informed 

 that T. parviflorum has been offered at the price of genuine 



