The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1912-09-12
FIELD DODDER PEST
BY Geo. Severance, Supt., western
Washington Experiment Station.

calloQ 10 examine llclu VI SAo'SA
near Puyallup affected with an un-
known pest. The pest proved TO-
be an unusually healthy case OF
field dodder, which attacks both
clover and alfalfa. The field Of sew
eral acres was entirely covered with
dodder. This pest is a parasite
plant, starting from a seed but fas-
tening at once upon some host plant
from which it sucks the juices. 1T
cannot draw it's nourishment from
the soil like an ordinary plant and
would die as soon as the food sup
ply in the parent seed is exhausted
If it could not find host plant
Having fastened on host nunln
Having fastened on host it spreads
rapidly, attaching numerous suck
ers to the host, sucking its life jul
ces and gradually weakening 1t till
in bad cases the host will be killed
out altogether. 1t produces fine,
yellowish, thread-like. leafless bran
ches rapidly and spreads horizontal
", a single plant soon covering sew
eral square feet like fine. leaf
less vine.
Since the plant does not root in
the soil it cannot be hOed out Any
piece with a sucker attached to-
the host will grow, forming a new
plant if all the rest is cut away.
For this reason it cannot be eradi-
Gated from a clover field by moving
and removing the growth or by disk
ing. In moving there are certain to
be some small sections left on the
stubble for a new start. 1t may be
disked and cut into innumerable
pieces. yet unless every particle OF
clover supporting the parasite Is
severed and destroyed, the parasite
will not be destroyed. If field is
thoroughly infested with dodder the
best plan is to pillow it under and
grow some other crop. If the dod-
der has been neglected till seed has
been formed the clover and dOdder
should be moved, allowed to dry.
and the whole mass burned. If dod-
der seed has not formed the clover
may be used for hay and the stub
BILE plowed under. The same meth
DDS would apply in Graduating scat
tered patches.
The seed of dodder resembles clo-
yer seed sufficiently In size. color
and general appearance to pass UNI
observed not only by the average
farmer but by most seed dealers. In
this fact lies the greatest danger ant
emphasizes the importance Of ex-
ercising the utmost care in purchas
ing seed. The safest rule is to buy
from reliable seedsmen and pur-
chase only their best seed. In
buying low priced grades Of seed
the danger of Introducing noxiOus
weeds Is much greater than in US
ing high grade seed. and numerous
careful examinations have shown
that one usually pays more for the
seeds that actually grow on account
of the large percentage of foreign
matter and dead seed purchased.
Bureau of plant industry bulletin No
8. part 3. reports the results Of ex-
aiming sixty-One samples of low
grade red clover seed. representing
over two hundred sixty-two tons,
imported during the year ending on
June 80, 1906. Average per cent of
germinable seed. 43.16 per cent. av-
erage number of kinds Of weed seed
present. 20; dodder present in So
samples; average purchase price.
1851 per 100 lbs; actual cost per
100 lbs. of seed that terminated.
$20.39. One sample contained fiji
ty kinds of weed seed. The weak
est sample was purchased for $3.50
per hundred but actually cost $50. g.
for the seeds that terminated The
bulletin states "In sowing seed of
the average quality shown above at
the rate of eight pounds to the a
ere there would be about nine weed
seeds sown per square foot, includ-
ing three dOdder seeds to every
square foot.
These figures are given not tOl
brighten farmers from buying seed,
but to warn them against the falla-
buying cheap seed and to urge more
caution in examining samples of
seed for sale. Our legislature has
passed some good laws controlling
the sale of seeds and has etablish-
ed seed laboratory in charge OF
the State Dairy and Food Commits
sion, Seattle. where samples of seed
are analysed and tested free of any
charge. Farmers should send sam
pies of seeds to this laboratory for
examination when containing un-
known seeds. Every farmer should
have a good magnifying glass cost
ing fifty cents to a dollar and learn
to recognize the worst weed seeds.