370 Annual Report of the Consulting Botanist for 1884. 
A very small proportion of the samples of crested dogstail 
{^Cynosurus cristatus, Linn.) contained seeds of Molinia cserulea 
and Holcus lanatus. Thirty-six per cent, of the samples were 
below the specified standard of germination. 
I have examined 126 samples of clover ; only 20 per cent, 
did not come up to the standard recommended by the Council, 
and the great majority of these samples failed only by a very 
small percentage in reaching that standard. Nineteen per cent, 
of the red clovers contained seeds of dodder, and 25 per cent, of 
the alsike had seeds of this destructive parasite. 
Fewer samples of grass mixtures have been submitted to me 
during the past year, but the samples examined have more 
firmly convinced me that it is most undesirable for growers to 
purchase their seeds in this form. One mixture consisted 
entirely of rye-grasses, with some trefoil and a little clover, and, 
in addition, the rye-grass was infected with ergot. Another 
consisted of rye-grass with a few seeds of other grasses and 
clovers, but in the aggregate not amounting to 1 per cent. The 
following are samples of the mixtures that have come under my 
notice : — 
No. 886. 
No. 950. 
No. 1085. 
No. 1158. 
20 
19 
21 
22 
Timothy 
12 
9 
Foxtail 
10 
8 
10 
9 
i2 
12 
8 
13 
14 
21 
7 
5 
i 
i 
Meadow Fescue 
3 
6 
Hard Fescue 
5 
6 
18 
16 
Sheep's Fescue 
2 
6 
13 
Aira caespitora 
1 
Aira fluxuosa 
3 
i 
11 
' 4 
Puell's Vernal Grass 
i 
2 
10 
4: 
Brome Grass 
1 
1 
6 
"l 
5 
9 
White Clover 
2 
10 
Trefoil 
1 
5 
h 
My attention has been called to a very serious evil, which I 
have no reason to believe to be prevalent in the seed trade, but 
which may be put down perhaps by being exposed. A member 
of the Society sent me some samples of grasses for examination. 
I reported to him that the golden oat-grass was entirely the 
worthless grass called Aira fiexuosa^ and that the foxtail did 
