New Yokk Agricultural Experiment Station. 361 
Weeds in One Square Foot of Soil. 
i — 
Taken from Plat E, l. 
Taken prom Plat E, 4. 
TIME of counting. 
DECEMBER 11. 
APRIL 14. 
DECEMBER 11. 
APRIL 14. 
« 
Grass. 
Other 
weeds. 
Grass. 
Other 
weeds . 
Grass. 
Other 
weeds . 
Grass. 
Other 
weeds. 
January 
5 
4 
18 
February 
3 
2 
11 
66 
6 
3 
82 
April 
13 
1 
35 
May 
8 
"79 
' 24 

71 
245 
234 
1 

1 
12 
2 
11 
11 
13 
July 
3 
12 

4 
1 
38 
7 
69 

11 
1 
11 

14 

53 

2 

3 

9 

5 
October 

5 

3 

5 
2 
4 
November 






6 

December 








It is interesting to note that the soil which was longest exposed to 
the winter cold gave the largest number of germinations, although 
there was only half as much of it (exposing the same surface to the 
air, however). The grasses (mostly Setaria glauca and viridis appa- 
rently) also gave a larger yield, in proportion to the other weeds, in 
the soil longest out of doors. Increasing these figures to the basis of 
one-twentieth of an acre, in order to compare with the actual yield of 
weeds on such an area during one season, it will be found that the 
number is much greater than has been found by actual count, which 
indicates, probably, that in the open ground, within two or three 
inches of the surface, all the weeds do not find favorable conditions 
for germination during a single season. 
The subject was also looked at from another point of view. Attempts 
have been repeatedly made at the Station to learn something of the 
germinating qualities of weed seeds — are all the seeds produced so 
lavishly by each plant really capable of germination ? Our inquiries 
have always been cut short by finding that weed seeds gathered, 
preserved and tested in the same way that garden seeds are gave 
from none to seven or eight per cent of germination only, which was 
manifestly so greatly at variance with the truth, if one is to trust his 
daily observations, that some fault in the method was suspected. 
46 
