80 TEANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



tains. There are many things propagated East that are not propa- 

 gated here; and it is absolutely necessary to receive importations. 

 I have once or twice had a Canada thistle get the start, and on one 

 occasion it had rambled a couple of rods under my best evergreens, 

 and I had the ground dug up and every fibre taken away, though in 

 doing so I had to destroy some of my evergreens. I do not think 

 we have as much to fear in Illinois as they have in the East. 



Mr. Bryant — The report recommends the enforcement of laws 

 against individuals. The laws against corporations must be enforced 

 also. Let any one pass through Michigan, where they have a strin- 

 gent law against them, and he will find the railroads are lined with 

 Canada thistle. You will see the seeds floating in the air, and coming 

 into the carriage you are about to occupy — perhaps traveling 20 or 

 30 miles. The waste lands along the railroads ai'e the nurseries for 

 the Canada thistle, and in that w^ay it is creeping along towards our 

 State. I have found it in these importations from Rochester, and it 

 has taken some time to destroy it. 



The President — Is the greatest danger from small pieces of roots 

 or from the seeds ? 



Mr. Bryant — It is from the small pieces of roots. I suppose a 

 piece of root one inch long would be suflicient. Any one may dig 

 down and ascertain how they grow. I have sometimes had difficulty 

 in taking out the roots. One difficulty is that a great portion of the 

 people do not know it when they see it. The flowers are rather 

 ■small, and the thistles are slender^ but more prickly than any other 

 kind. It is easy to recognize when it has once been pointed out. 



M.r. "Wier — I have been wanting to say a few words for Dr. Hull's 

 information. I have had the Canada thistle introduced into my place 

 at two diiferent times. The first time it started from the seeds in 

 packing fruit trees. I had the big trees pretty well unpacked before 

 I knew there were thistles in the packing. I packed it up again and 

 covered it with a sheet. The next summer I watched for the thistles, 

 and I suppose there was a hundred of them came. The next time 

 i)hey were planted with a pear tree, and I suppose they had a space 



