Dock Seed.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 100, 2 October 1908, Page 4

Dock Seed.

It will be granted by all farmers and gardeners that weeds are infinitely troublesome to them. It is conclusively proved that weeds may be easily spread in this way, and at the International Conference on Seed Testing, held in 1906 at Hamburg, Dr Stebler quoted a case in which a clover sample, weighing 550 grammes, contained 4500 seeds of Ribgrass, 2240 seeds of wild carrot, 1140 seeds of chicory, and 151 seeds of clover dodder, besides hundreds of other weed seeds. Other classes of seeds may similarly contain much impurity in this way of weed seeds and such samles should on no account be sold. One per cent of dock seed in an ordinary grass or clover mixture may mean ten or more dock plants per square yard. Many cases in which weed seeds have infested agricultural seeds to a serious extent could be quoted with ease, and we would impress on every reader the desirability —nay, the vital importance —of sowing only pure clean seed, free from weed seeds, and of high germinating capacity. A guarantee cf purity should be asked for when purchasing seed; but if the seed has been purchased without such guarantee, and any suspicion of impurity is suggested by careful examination of the seed, then samples should at once be submittedl to expert examination before sowing takes place. Noticing that from time to time inquiries are made as to the best method of getting rid of lice on pigs, Mr SandersS Spencer, whose name is well known all over the world as a breeder of white pigs, writes as follows:—"I have found the application of vegetable or animal oil the cheapest, safest, and best temporary remedy. Two applications will be needed, the second about a fortnight after the first, in order todestroy the lice which at the first dressing were unaffected as nits. Kerosene or other mineral oil is dangerous. It seems, however, to be an impossibility to entirely clear old sties of pig lice."