REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 



225 



been spread in seed grain than by its natural manner of rolling. Very little indication of 

 it was found on the natural prairie, except where there was loose earth around gopher 

 holes. The Mennonites all know the plant, but, as a rule, are indifferent whether it 

 is on their land or not, although a few seemed anxious to secure its extermination. The 

 farmers of Manitoba are to be congratulated on the vigorous manner in which the 

 endeavours to exterminate this weed have been prosecuted by the Provincial Department 

 of Agriculture. In addition to the many localities where the Russian Thistle was found 

 on the Mennonite reserve, small patches were also discovered at Carman, Souris, Wawa- 

 nesa, Belmont and Baldur, all of which were carefully destroyed by order of the depart- 

 ment. Although I do not think it at all likely that the Russian Thistle will become a 

 dangerous weed in Ontario, where it has little chance of " tumbling," it may be well to- 

 state that vigorous specimens have been found along the Grand Trunk Railway, south of 

 Lake St. Clair by Mr. J. Dearness, of London ; at Toronto Junction, in the Canadian 

 Pacific Railway yards, by Miss Zelr.i.i Bogart ; and at Smith's Falls on the same rail- 

 way, by Prof. John Macoun. 



The Russian Tumble-weed or Thistle will be easily re- 

 cognized from the figures of a mature branch, an immature 

 branch and seed shown herewith (Fig. 20). The plant most 

 frequently mistaken for it is the true tumble-weed, Amarantus 

 albus ; but the two can be at once distinguished by the fact 

 that, when the plants are immature, the leaves of the true 

 tumble weed are expanded into a blade half an inch across, 

 >s* i\\t' 1 u I while those of the Russian Thistle are thread-like and fleshy. 



When ripe, the seeds of the former are lens-shaped, black 

 and highly polished, not more than ^ of an inch in diameter, 

 while those of the latter are shaped as in the figure, dull 

 gray and nearly \ of an inch in their greatest length. 



Some other western weeds have attracted attention by 

 their aggressiveness during the past season. Mr. A. Mac- 

 kay writes from Indian Head : — " I can safely say thai one 

 half of this farm was literally covered with plants of the 

 Tumble Mustard, Sisymbrium sinapistrum, Crantz, blown in 

 from adjacent farms on November 14, last. By good luck, the 

 greater part of this was fallowed last summer, and I hope 

 not many plants will appear next year in the crop. In 1893 

 there was not a plant in this whole lot. This year when 

 % we ploughed the field for the first time it was a mass of 

 young stem before the flower- nower, and the plants were so thick that every toot was 

 ing period, natural size and a covered with the weed. The tree plots, garden plots and 

 single seed enlarged. all places of that nature were filled up, and continued so 



till the frost came. Of course, we ploughed, hoed, scuffled, as each new crop came up, 

 and kept them from going to seed. But with fresh importations from the same quarter 

 this fall, I have no doubt there will be plenty again next year. All our crops had 

 more or less plants in them. We pulled them whenever it was practicable ; but some 

 places were so bad that we did not touch them until the grain was ripe. The plant is 

 easily killed by fallowing the land, but it is spreading fast in the direction of the pre- 

 vailing winds. Our council has power to cause the destruction of this weed, and likely 

 will take steps the coming year to do so. If something is not done soon, this whole 

 country will be overrun. Russian Thistle has not made its appearance here yet, and I 

 hope it will not ; but, as a weed, it is not any worse than our own tumble weed. " 



There is another member of the Mustard family which is just getting a footing in 

 the North-west Territories as a noxious weed, i. e., Erysimum orientate, R. Br., which has 

 been sent to me by Mr. Mackay, from two or three localities in the same district, and from 

 Beulah, Manitoba. Mr. Mackay says under date of August 29 : " The weed Erysimum 

 orientate is not on the farm, but is found five miles from here, and has caused consider- 

 able loss to the farmer on whose place it has obtained a foothold. I think it is only 



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