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fested districts. This is, as a rule, with other seeds or in hay and straw used as 

 packing. Perhaps the most fertile source of weeds upon a previously clean farm is 

 bought manure. Notwithstanding all efforts to the contrary, weeds will, however, 

 be constantly introduced from outside souices either with seed, manui-e, or carried 

 by the elements, and it is well that farmers should understand a simple classification 

 of all weeds by their modes of growth. 



Plants may be divided into the following classes: annuals, biennials and perennials. 

 In eradicating weeds it is all-important to know under which of these heads they 

 come. 



Annuals — Are those plants which complete their whole growth in a year. As a 

 rule, they have small fibi'ous roots and produce a large quantity of seed. Examples 

 of this class are found in Wild Mustard, Penny Cress (called in Manitoba Slink-weed 

 or French-weed), Lamb's quaiters. Wild Buckwheat, Purslane, Ragweed. There are 

 also some annuals which are biennial in habit, that is, of which seeds ripened in the 

 summer produce a certain growth before winter sets in and then complete their 

 development the following spring. Of these may be mentioned Shepherd's Purse, 

 Penny Ciess, mentioned above, and Chess. 



Biennials — Are those plants which require two seasons to complete their growth, 

 the first being spent in collecting and storing up a supply of noui-ishment, which is 

 used the second season in producing flowers and seeds. Examples of these are Bur- 

 dock, Wild Parsnip, Mullein, Evening Primrose and Viper's Bugloss or Blue-weed. 



Perennials — Are those plants which continue growing for several years. 

 Perennial weeds are propagated by various methods. The most troublesome are 

 those which extend loni shoots beneath the surface of the ground as Sheep's Sorrel, 

 Canada Thistle, Perennial Sow-thistle, Chicory and Couch Grass. Some perennials 

 extend but slowly from the root by means of short stems or offsets; but produce a 

 large quantity of seed. Of these, Ox-eye Daisy, Dandelion, Golden-rod and 

 Perennial Groundsel are examples. 



In adopting a method of extei-mination the nature of the plant to be eradicated 

 must first of all be taken into consideration. Any method by which the germina- 

 tion of the seed in the soil is hastened and then the young plants are destroyed 

 before they produce fresh seed, will clean land infested by annual weeds. The seeds 

 of some annuals have very great vitality, and will continue appearing for several 

 years as fresh seeds are biought to the surface. Wild Mustard and Wild Oats have 

 been known to germinate after lyingdeep in the ground for twenty years. Biennials 

 must be cither ploughed up or cut oft' previous to. flowering. Where ploughing is 

 impracticable they should be cut off below the crown of the root. For this purpose 

 a large chisel in the end of a long handle (to obviate the necessity of stooping) is as 

 convenient a tool as can be used. Perennials are by far the most troublesome of all 

 weeds and require very thorough treatment, and in some instances the cultivation 

 of special crops, to ensure their eradication. Imperfect treatment, such as a single 

 ploughing, frequently does more harm than good, by breaking up the underground 

 stems and stimulating growth. 



There is no weed known which cannot be eradicated by constant attention, if 

 only the nature of its gi-owth be undeistood. Farmers should be constantly on the 

 alert to pi-evctit new weeds from becoming established on their farms. There are 

 some genei'al rules which all should remember: — 1. Weeds do gi eat harm by rob- 

 bing the soil of the plant-food intended for the crop. 2. They crowd out and take 

 the place of more useful plants. 3. They cause great loss of time to eradicate, and 

 frequently compel the farmer to change the best rotation of his ci-ops, and perhaps 

 grow crops which are not the most advantageous for his farm. 4. Weeds of all kinds 

 can be eradicated by constant attention along the following lines : (i.) Never allow 

 them to seed; (ii.) Cultivate frequently early in the season, so as to destroy seedlings 

 while of weak growth ; (iii.) For per«nnial weeds, the only means of destroying them 

 is to prevent them from forming leaves and storing up nourishment in their roots. 

 This can be done by constant cultivation. The importance of leaves to plants can 

 be seen by the serious injuries frequently inflicted even upon large forest trees by 



