BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. 333 



_ Weeds and tillage. — Investigations of weeds and of tillage prac- 

 tises, with special reference to methods of controlling weeds, have 

 continued, as in the past, under the immediate charge of Mr. J. S. 

 Cates. Two years ago a careful study was made of the agronomic 

 habits of the perennial morning-glories or bindweed. The experi- 

 ence of farmers who had learned how to control this weed was also 

 carefully investigated, and methods which had been found by farmers 

 to be elective were described in a Farmers' Bulletin in order that 

 others might give them a trial. At the present time about 100 

 farmers are trying these methods under the direction of this office. 

 Their practicability is thus receiving a thorough test. 



Demonstrations are in progress with a view to eradicate botli wild 

 onions and Johnson grass by means of methods which were devised 

 in this office on the basis of studies of the agronomic habits of these 

 "weeds. So many successful demonstrations of these methods have 

 been conducted that there is no longer any doubt as to their efficiency, 

 but it seems to be necessaiy in all sections where these weeds are 

 found to make public demonstrations of eradiction in order to con- 

 vince farmers of the practicability of these methods. 



Studies of the manner of growth of quack-grass, which has long 

 been a serious pest in New England and is now rapidly spreading 

 in the Middle West, have shown that the agronomic habits of this 

 weed are similar to those of Johnson grass in the South. Last year 

 experiments were begun to determine whether the same methods 

 used in the eradication of Johnson grass would suffice for quack- 

 grass. This office is able to report at the present time that the same 

 methods are applicable. The results will be prepared for publica- 

 tion during the current year. 



Studies have shown that ordinary annual weeds common on poorly 

 managed farms in all sections of the country are of more economic 

 importance than the dreaded perennials, such as Johnson grass, 

 quack-grass, wild onions, etc. Methods of controlling or exterminat- 

 ing most of the perennial weeds have already been w^orked out. We 

 are now giving much attention to the study of the ordinary incidental 

 "weeds, most of which are annuals or biennials. Our investigations 

 thus far indicate that the control of these weeds is largely a matter of 

 adopting satisfactory systems of farm management, including prop- 

 erly planned rotations and the adoption of methods of tillage which 

 "will prevent these weeds from ripening seeds. We are giving special 

 attention to the relation of weeds to various crop rotations and the 

 systems of farming based on them. 



Work on the relation of weeds to the tillage needs of corn has been 

 greatly extended during the present year. Demonstration work 

 along this line is in progress on 160 farms in 32 States. These inves- 

 tigations have given important and unexpected results which will be 

 published during the current year. 



Hay investigations. — The most important feature of the hay in- 

 vestigations of the past year, in charge of Mr. H. B. McClure, relates 

 to the possibility of curing hay by artificial drying. In our experi- 

 mental work alfalfa hay dried in twenty minutes in a kiln retained 

 the original green color of the plants growing in the field, and was 

 greatly relished by stock. A kiln specially adapted to drying hay 

 has been constructed and was recently operated in a few trial runs 



