Annual Repcfftfar 1891 of the Cutisultincj Bokmisf. 845 
ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1891 OF THE 
CONSULTING BOTANIST. 
During the past year 250 applications have been received from 
members of the Society. These refer principally to seeds for laying 
down pastures, but a larger proportion of inquiries have been made 
than in previous years in regard to injuries to stock from poisonous 
or dangerous plants, and injuries to crops from the attacks of 
parasites. 
Seeds for Pasture. 
The quality of the grass-seeds, both as regards purity and germi- 
nation, was on the whole very satisfactory during the past year. The 
grasses most largely used appear to be timothy and cocksfoot. The 
only impurity in timothy met with was some seeds of liorin : its 
germination was very high ; in no case did it grow less than 90 per 
cent., while the average was 96 per cent. In the cocksfoot tiie 
only seeds that were frequently found were those of Yorkshire fog, 
but they never amounted to more than 3 per cent. The average 
germination amounted to 84 per cent. This was reduced by sam- 
ples which contained a considerable quantity of unripe seeds, with a 
consequently low rate of germination. Xearly half of the samples 
gave a germination of over 90 per cent. 
The large fescues were free from Meeds and from the seeds of 
other grasses. The germination was most satisfactory, that of 
meadow fescue giving an average of 94 per cent., and of tall fescue 
88 per cent., after excluding an unsatisfactory sample composed to 
a large extent of nearly empty glumes, and growing only 3-5 per cent. 
The small fescues contained more impurities, the most promi- 
nent l>eing the small awned seeds of hassock -grass, one sample 
containing as much as 8 per cent, of this undesirable grass. Hard 
fescue gave a germination of over 78 per cent., while sheep's fescue 
was lower, giving no more than T-t per cent. 
Meadow foxtail was generally free from hassock-grass. One 
sample contained 6 per cent, of this seed. The germination aver- 
aged 731 per cent., when one sample is excluded, which was com- 
posed mostly of empty chaff, reminding one of the samples frequently 
met with some years ago, and grew only 3.5 per cent. 
The meadow grasses were free from weeds and the germination 
was satisfactory. The smooth-stalked meadow grass had an average 
growth of 87 per cent., rough-stalked meadow grass of 79 per 
cent., and wood meadow grass of 73 per cent. 
Dogstail is deservedly going out of use. For pastures it is a 
\ery poor grass. The seeds I examined were pure, and the samples 
hatl an average germination of 94 per cent. 
