THE HAWKWEEDS. 73 



the greenhouse and a considerable number of young hawkweed 

 plants at once sprang up. 



The plant is now, unfortunately, so well known as to need 

 little description. The concise account given by Professor 

 Harvey in a previous bulletin is, however, repeated ; 'Stem 

 simple, erect, nearly leafless, one to two feet high, clothed with 

 hairs, those at the top of the stem black at the base. Leaves 

 mostly at the roots, oblong-lanceolate, toothed, hairy on both 

 sides and without a petiole. The conspicuous heads of orange 

 colored flowers in a flat-topped cluster at the end of the stem. 

 Heads composed of numerous small orange colored flowers, each 

 one of which produces at its base a small dark brown, ten-ribbed 

 seed-like fruit, with dirty white hairlike bristles at the top.'* 



TREATMENT. 



This plant is one of our worst weeds and is without one 

 redeeming feature. It kills all of the grass in its vicinity with 

 its dense mat of leaves and it is of itself no use as hay. The 

 only certain remedy for it is clean culture in some hoed crop. 

 By this means, however, it may readily be held in check ; as it 

 has been in several instances on the Station farm. The early 

 and frequent cutting of infested patches of grass may prevent 

 the formation of seed, but has no efifect upon the formation of 

 runners. 



Numerous attempts have been made to destroy this weed by 

 applications of salt,t kerosene, etc. All experience at this Sta- 

 tion, however, but emphasizes the statement before made, viz., 

 that clean culture is a certain method, and the only certain 

 method of extermination. Every intelligent and progressive 

 farmer will on the first appearance of this pest take active means 

 of checking its spread. 



THE KING-DEVIL WEED. 



Sometimes associated with the hawkweed is a closely related 

 species known as the King-Devil Weed {Hieracimn prealtum). 



This plant has proved very troublesome in northern New York 

 where it is regarded as even worse than the hawkweed. It has 

 been reported from several sections in Maine, especially in Ken- 



* Harvey. Bui. 8-'. Maine Fxp. Sta. Jan. 1897. 

 t Jones, Bui. .t6— Vermont Exp. 8la. 



