774 Annual Report for 1894 of the Consulting Botanist. 
There is a remarkable change in the kinds of grasses used by the 
members of the Society in laying down pastures. Some inferior and 
second-rate grasses are apparently disappearing from use, such as 
Vernal Grass, Dogstail, Sheep’s Fescue, and Hard Fescue. On the 
other hand, it seems strange that the Meadow Grasses are not so 
lai’gely used as their feeding value, persistence, and price would lead 
one to expect. 
White Clover often contained seeds of Sorrel. In one sample 
these amounted to 14 per cent. The average germination was 
91 per cent. Alsike also had a considerable amount of Sorrel in 
some samples, and 15 per cent, contained seeds of Dodder. The 
average germination was 94 per cent. The samples of Red Clover 
were all free from Dodder, the only impurity that was present in 
any quantity being Rib Grass : the germination had an average of 
over 91 per cent. 
Yarrow is being more largely used in laying down pastures. 
The samples have been singularly free from weeds, and have ger- 
minated 80 per cent. 
The mixtures of pasture seeds which were analysed testified to 
the importance of the farmer buying his seeds separately and mixing 
them for himself. Too great a variety of seeds is often employed, 
many of them being grasses of an inferior quality. Thus a mixture 
was composed of no less than sixteen different species of grass and 
some weeds. Some mixtures were so bad that it would have paid 
the farmer better to have destroyed them than to have sown them. 
For instance, the last mixture examined had more than half its 
bulk made up of chaff, and the seeds consisted of 35 per cent. Rye- 
grass, 27 per cent. Yorkshire Fog, 15 per cent. Meadow Grass, 9 per 
cent. Hard Fescue, and 1 per cent, each of Buttercup, Rib Grass, 
and Wood Rush. 
Fungal diseases, attacking Turnips, French Beans, Potatoes, 
Tomatoes, leaves of Vine, Sycamore, Hop, Maythorn, and Shepherd’s 
Purse, the roots of Asparagus and Oats, and the stem of the Peach, 
have been investigated and reported upon. 
Thirty-four different weeds were identified and their properties, 
were reported on. 
William Carruthers. 
44 Central Hill, Norwood, S.E. 
ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1894 OF THE 
ZOOLOGIST. 
Introduction. 
The applications received by the Zoologist during 1894 have, as in 
the preceding year, had reference to about thirty different pests. 
Most inquiries have related to insects, though in some cases informa- 
tion has been sought with regard to parasitic worms. 
As a whole, the year appears to have been more than usually free 
