THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 35 



ing regions of the Northwest, and has already caused damage to the 

 estimated amount of several millions of dollars. Spreading rapidly as 

 it is over a new territory, and becoming more destructive in the region 

 already infested, it threatens serious consequences unless prompt meas- 

 ures are taken to subdue it." 



This weed is the Russian thistle, now found invading so many parts 

 of California. It is one of the worst pests to grain crops known, and 

 utterly ruins many good fields. 



In Imperial County, California, F. W. Waite estimates the losses 

 from weeds at 25 per cent in some districts. This is an enormous tax 

 on the farmers and one which they should not bear. The following 

 criticism of local conditions came to my hand while compiling statistics 

 from apple orchards in California: "A big disadvantage I have is, that 

 only a few of the orchards in this neighborhood are properly cared for, 

 hence I have more disease and vermin to fight than I should have." 



Why can't we all cooperate in reducing this nuisance? Every land 

 owner should cooperate, for he has, not only his own land to consider, 

 but also his neighbor's. A weed is a public nuisance, just as much as 

 any other offensive nuisance, and pressure should be brought to bear on 

 negligent farmers and orchardists. 



The county commissioner is empowered by law to hire cleaning up 

 work done when the property owners fail to comply with the order to 

 do it themselves. The expense is then a lien on the property. 



It is not necessary to know the names of all the weeds infesting a 

 piece of land, but laiowledge of their life habits is very essential in 

 order to eliminate them with the least expense. 



The difference between roots and root-stocks must be known. Pull 

 up a few weeds and examine theuL Roofs are simple hold-fasts to keep 

 the plant from blowing away, and also to supply certain nourishment 

 from the soil. Root-stocks are very different from roots — are designed 

 to store food for the future u.se of the plant. If the gre^n top is cut 

 off the root-stock will send up another top, while the common root w^ill 

 not. To harrow a weed like Johnson grass is just to spread it farther. 

 Each joint of the cut-root stock sends up a new shoot. 



ANNUAL AND PERENNIAL WEEDS. 



Roughly, weeds are divided into two groups: annuals and perennials, 

 or plants which come up each year and those which live on for a series 

 of years. 



Annuals.— This class of weeds is by far the largest. Though fre- 

 quently found in great numbers, these weeds are easily eradicated by 

 cultivation when they first appear above ground. Annuals include 

 such weeds as Russian thistle, star thistle, mallow, mustard, wild radish, 

 pigweed, foxtail, etc. They are propagated from seed spread by the 

 wind, birds and water. If cut before the seed matures they are easily 

 kept under control. The best time to eradicate them is when they 

 appear above ground, and before they are more than two or three inches 

 high. All annuals have simple root systems. 



Perennials.— This is the most difficult group to eradicate. It is 

 divided into two classes : those weeds which grow from seeds and roots, 

 and those which grow from seeds and root-stocks. It is in the latter 

 class that most of our injurious weeds occur. Such plants are propa- 

 gated by seeds and by the storage of food in the stems below ground. 



