22P Annual Report for 1907 of the Consulting Botanist. 
Chalk .1 
Lime . . . . . . . . . 11 
Soot . . . . . . . . . .7 
Waters .......... 68 
Soils .......... 17 
Milk, cream, and butter . . .. . . . . 12 
Miscellaneous . . . . . . . . . 30 
Total . . .462 
J. Augustus Voblckbr. 
22 Tudor Street, 
London, E.C. 
ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1907 OF THE 
CONSULTING BOTANIST. 
During the past year 184 inquiries from members of the 
Society have been dealt with. These referred to the quality 
of seeds, the names and treatment of weeds, the diseases of 
cultivated plants, and more miscellaneous subjects. 
Purity and Germination op Seeds. 
The seed harvest of 1906 was very satisfactory, both at home 
and abroad, consequently the samples examined were of good 
quality, and on the whole the germination was higher than 
usual. Only two of the samples may be referred to ; one of 
imported Italian rye-grass which contained eleven per cent, of 
worthless seeds. The mixture consisted of : — 
Italian rye-grass {Lolium italicum Linn.) . . 89'0 
Brome grass (Bromus mollis Linn.) . . . 2‘2 
Yorkshire fog (Holcus lanatus Linn.) . . 1'7 
Buttercup {Ranunculus acris Linn.) . . 1’5 
Trefoil {Medicago lupulina Linn.) . . . 2’3 
Field Madder {Sherardia arvensis Linn.). . I ’2 
Rib grass {Plantago lanceolata Linn.) . . IT 
Forget-me-not {Myosotis arvensis) . . . 1‘0 
Total 100 
It should be impossible for any honest and intelligent seed 
merchant to offer these seeds to a farmer. It is time that 
those in the trade who are ignorant of the goods they deal in, 
and whose only object is to make a profit, should be held 
responsible for the injury they bring to the farmer by causing 
him'to sow one or more worthless or baneful weeds with every 
