At Saskatoon the effects of drift spray of the butyl ester, low volatile ester, and amine formulations of 2,4-D on growing sunflowers all resulted in distortion of the leaves and stems, and malformed heads. Effects decreased with distance but were clearly discernible at 120 rods. With a wind velocity of 9 miles per hour after 1 hour of spraying the total seed yield was reduced by 42, 38, and 37 per cent for ester, low volatile ester, and amine, respectively. Seed quality decreased with proximity to the sprayed area.Similar damage occurred at Morden when low volatile ester of 2,4-D was applied adjacent to a breeding nursery.

Four tests were conducted on three soil types, at Ottawa, Ont., and Ste. Anne de la Pocatière, Que., to study the comparative behaviour of birds-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) in various mixtures. Data show that birdsfoot trefoil was more persistent than alfalfa in long-term leys on imperfectly drained soils. It also persisted longer than ladino or alsike clovers on the two soil types where these crops were compared. Data confirm previous findings that it possesses very little competitive ability. Accordingly, to reduce competition, birdsfoot trefoil should be used in simple mixtures with non-aggressive species. Timothy seemed generally to be the best companion grass. Red clover should be used with great care since it has a marked detrimental effect on its contribution to the crop. Preliminary results suggest the value of an orchardgrass-birdsfoot trefoil mixture in dry habitats.

The inheritance of coumarin in white blossom sweet clover was determined from a study of crosses involving plants of the variety Arctic (containing free coumarin). Pioneer (containing bound coumarin), and coumarin-deficient selections. Both a flurometric and a colorimeter test were used to detect the presence and type of coumarin.Among high-coumarin plants, variation in the amount of coumarin was due to non-heritable causes or genetic factors not detected in this study. The cross of free-coumarin × bound-coumarin plants established that the bound-coumarin character was inherited as a simple recessive. The gene symbol b is proposed for this character. In the crosses of high-coumarin × coumarin-deficient plants the F1 progeny were more or less intermediate in coumarin content and the subsequent F2 established that coumarin production is governed by one partially dominant gene. The symbol Cu is proposed for this gene. The gene B, responsible for the free-coumarin production, expresses itself only in the presence of Cu and is undetectable in a coumarin-deficient plant homozygous for cu. Some atypical unexplained F2 ratios are reported.

The loss of coumarin from sweet clover leaf samples amounted to 70 to 75% when the samples were air-dried for 10 days and 21 to 51% when oven-dried at 175° F. for one hour. Fresh leaf material placed in 2.5 N NaOH and stored in darkness at room temperature showed no loss of coumarin over a six month period but when stored in light at room temperature losses were evident: in 10 days and very heavy after six months' storage. Coumarin content was maximum in flower buds and fresh leaves from the tip of branches. Root and stem tissue and the more mature leaves from the central and lower portion of the plants were very low in coumarin. A rapid qualitative procedure is described which involves collection of fresh young leaves and storage of them in 2.5 N NaOH in the dark until they are examined in ultraviolet light. Plants classified as coumarin-deficient by this procedure were found to be void of coumarin on photofluorometric analysis.

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