296 Annual Report for 1887 of the Consulting Botanist. 
nectecl with injurious insect matters, or requisite coincident 
correspondence, was approximately eleven liundi-ed. In the year 
1887 it was more than fourteen hundred. Much of the increase 
turned on correspondence regarding warble attack, Hessian fly 
and other corn-straw attacks, and crop eel-worms. 
Besides British correspondents, I have had much communica- 
tion with leading entomologists in our own colonies, also in the 
United States and in various European countries, and I wish to 
acknowledge with thanks the very serviceable and courteous 
assistaiice which they have invariably afforded in any points of 
difficulty. 
XVI. — Annual Ecport for 1887 of the Consulting Botanist. By 
"W. Carruthers, F.R.S., P.L.S., 41 Central Hill, Norwood, 
S.E. 
During the past year I have attended to 311 applications 
from members of the society, referring mainly to seeds for 
permanent pasture. The general result of my examination of 
pasture seeds testifies to the continued maintenance of their 
improved quality ; there is, however, evidence to show that a 
large quantity of utterly bad seed finds its way into the hands 
of the farmers. Thus, in seeds bought from seven merchants in 
the east of England, the white clovers contained 10 per cent, or 
more of weeds, and the red clovers and alsikes had seeds of 
dodder besides other weeds. The timothy was ergotted, the 
cocksfoot was very impure, one sample containing no less than 
34 per cent, of other and worthless seeds ; and even the rye- 
grass was made the vehicle of spreading Yorkshire fog on the 
land, one sample containing 12 and another 15 per cent, of this 
grass, which is never eaten by stock unless under the greatest 
necessity. In some cases of these seeds, the gei'mination was 
very low. Trefoil germinated in one case only 3G per cent., 
and in another not more than 20 per cent., red clover 34 per 
cent., white clover 47 per cent., and cocksfoot 41 and 43 per 
cent. The committee wished to publish the names of the firms 
which had supplied these seeds, but the member of the society 
on whose behalf the examination was made objected, and failed to 
give the information necessary to justify the taking of this step. 
During the past year I have met with only a single case of 
meadow-fescue which contained ryegrass in such quantity as 
to show that it had been introduced for the purpose of adultera- 
tion ; there was 20 per cent, of ryegi'ass in the sample. Indeed, 
it would seem as if the ryegrass liad been in some quarters a 
scarce comippdity, for a sample of pui'c and good meadow-fescue 
