carrot, celery, parsnip, parsley, and anise are so resistant that stove oil is used as a selective spray to kill weeds in them. Even these crops are injured by oils heavier than stove oil. Toxicity also varies with temperature, being higher during hot sunny weather than on cool days.Oil residues are distasteful on crops. If a selective stove-oil spray has been applied late in the growing season, there may be insufficient time for the resi due to be dissipated and the product may be unacceptable on the market. On carrots the stove-oil spray must be applied while the seedlings have one to four true leaves ; later applications leave an oily residue undesirable in the cooked vegetable. The question is often asked : Can the manufacturer produce an oil that will be nontoxic to carrots and will leave no objectionable residue? Another common inquiry is whether oils might serve as selective herbicides on other crops.Fortified Oils. Research workers on herbicides have discovered several chemicals that will make oils more toxic and will broaden their applicability to oil-tolerant weed species. Since the use of such "fortifying" agents is relatively new, information is needed concerning the type most desirable for various weed populations, the quantities most economical to use, the kind of oil best suited to combine with them, and the proper amendments required to render the herbicidal mixture most compatible with the methods of application.New Types of Oils. Finally, new oil fractions and even new oils are being made available for weed control. The users need help in fitting these new prod ucts into the general schemes of weed control employed in the regions where each product will be marketed.Scope and Purpose of This Study. As this brief introduction shows, there are many uses for oils in weed control, and oil products fulfill needs that other chemicals cannot satisfy. For efficiency, however, the properties of these oils must be understood; only thorough tests can clarify the relation between tox icity and chemical composition, particularly with respect to selective action on different plant species.The research described in this paper is a preliminary survey and does not attempt a detailed treatment subject to statistical analysis. Presentation of data has been organized on a topic basis to center around oil types rather than crops, weeds, or weed-control methods. Later papers, of a more popular type, will describe the more practical aspects of the use of oils in weed control. These will stress crops, weeds, and control methods.
COMPOSITION OF OILSClassification of Oils. Oils may be classified in many ways. Naturally occur ring oils of prehistoric origin are petroleum, shale oil, and gas-drip oil. These may find their way into the herbicide field in practically their natural condi tion; various fractions are commonly used; and altered oils (produced by destructive distillation, cracking, or catalytic synthesis) may be employed.Petroleum is largely composed of the chemical compounds collectively named hydrocarbons, toget...