The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1912-06-21
Dodder in Clover.


over clover and alfalfa. securing itsali
to these plants and rothing thcm OF
their sap. j, comes from a minute brow
ish-gray seed. looking like particle OF
dirt. which terminates exactly like the
seeds of clover. but after coming ip lois
go its hold on the soil and fastcns up
on other plants. The love-vine is related
species, but " commonly found on plants
Of little value, growing ON wet land.
These plants have no true leaves AM
are not weeds in the proper sense, but
parasites. deriving all their nourishment
from plants Of other sorts. The clover
nfesting species becomes extremely de
structive at times. and sometimes dam
ages planting 80 severely as to compel
the owner to plw 1t up. Fortunately,
it does not attack most other plants
and hence. even II soil becomes thicily
sown with its seeds, 1t will still produce
crops of other sorts. Yet it is sometimes
source of loss and annoyance to q
farmer to give up a tract of land for
of the seeds of dodder On the soil, and
clover.or alfalfa beacuse of the presence
the question is often asked; What can
we do to get rid of it?
Very little can be done, once soil is
thickly sown with the seeds, except us
ing the landforother crops not subject
to attack and waiting until the seeds
have DIST their vitality. just how long
this will be necessary has not been de-
termined, but it would probably be a
good many years, judging by what we
know of the persistence of other seeds.
1t is matter Of the utmost impor-
lance therefore, TO prevent land becon-
ing infested with the pest, and here
been sown in large numbers in Kentucky
with clover and alfalfa seeds. Our work
of inspecting the field seeds sold in the
market showed originally that a large
proportion of both the clover and alfalfa
seeds contained dodder seeds. AT one ii
screenings contained dodder and other
weed seeds were imported to this coun-
try from Europe and We're MIXED with
the seeds sold to our farmers. This fac
accounts for the general presence of dol
ded seeds among clover and alfalfa seeds
when we began our work. The pest YVES
the State that at present one is liable
to find its seeds in any homegrown clo-
YER or alfalfa seed offered for sale.
To avoid sowing the seeds farmers
should first acquaint themselves with
their appearance. and to do this il is on
ly necessary to buy tripod nlasnifi n
costing about fifty cents. spread a sam
pie of clover or alfalfa seeds on a sheet
of white paper and seperate all foreign
seeds. Dodder seeds may be recognizes
by the fact that they are smaller than
the average well matured clover and al !
falfa seeds. measuring but about 0.oi
inch in diameter, whereas good clover
seeds should measure about 90, inch in
length, and alfalfa COS or o.O9 inch.
Seeds of the pest are nearly spherical,
though sometimes slightly aneled owing
to the pressure nf one seed against an
other in the seed capsule. The surface
Is dull and smooth, the color, pale gray
Dr light brownish gray. Seeds of the
field dodder or love-vine. sometimes found
with clover seeds, average little larger
than clover dodder seeds and thus are
not so easily screened out with thu
selves used by seeismen. Standard seivs
are in use. however. that will remove
most, or AL clover dodder seeds. and
pies is to be looked upon as condemning
the stock from which it was taken. No
man working for the good of the agricul
iure of his country will knowingly put
such seeds on the market.
When farmers or seedsmen are unable
to decide for themselves about thu
presence of dodder seeds, samples should
be sent TO the Experiment Station at
Lexington, whore they will be examined
free Of charge.
Farmers can help greatly in reducing
.he injuries of dodder, not only by re-
fusing TO buy field seeds in which are
iodder seeds. but by refmning from
clover seeds of infested fields.
When dodder is prevalent in clover or
llfalfa 1t is sometimes wise To cut the
'rop before the dodder seeds are ripc,or
Else pillow the whole growth under ana
Put the land in same other crop. "A few
patches of dolder in field may Isomotime
De completely eradicated by using crude
'arbolic acid freely. This kills plants
# all sorts for time. but in one in
stance OF slight mfestaaion it was made
Use of 10 accomplish the purpose very
Effectively on the Experiment Farm.