28 



Fig. 5. 



Dock, Cukled Dock, Sour Dock, or Yellow Dock. 



Rumex Crispus (L). 



A deep-rooted perennial weed introduced from Europe. 



It occurs around buildings, in neglected lanes, along waysides and 

 in pastures. The stem is quite slender, and the leaves are from six to 

 twelve inches long, with wavy margins ; hence the common name, 

 " curled dock." The flowers are in racemes, green in color. 



The seed is winged, and is carried considerable distances by the 

 wind. The manner of attachment of the seed to the wing is shown 

 in illustration (Fig. 5, a.). The seeds are light brown in color, triangular, 

 with sharp edges and tapering point. They are smooth and shiny 

 (Fig. 5, b). 



The wind acts as an agency in scattering the seed, and it is a 

 very common impurity in clover and other seeds used on the farm. 



An average plant produces about 17,000 seeds. 



Time of flowering and seeding, July-August. 



Eradication. In most cases this weed can be kept in check by 

 the frequent introduction of wellcared-for hoed crop^ into the rota- 

 tion. The shorter the rotation, the better. The later sown hoed crops, 

 especially rape, are more effective than those sown earlier in the sea- 

 son. Before the hoed crop is sown, this weed may be kept from 

 breathing above ground by going fiequently over the field with a 

 broad-shared cultivator, which will cut the plants an inch or two 

 below the surface ; but as the roots are tough and strong, it may 

 sometimes be necessary to use the gang-plow, or even the single plow. 

 About the 1st of July, the land may be sown with rape in drills, say 

 26 inches apart, and kept clean, or nearly so, by the horse-hoe and 

 more or less hand hoeing. The rape can be pastured off in the usual 

 way during the fall ; and occasionally it may be necessary to put 

 another hoed crop '»n the same ground the following spring, say a 

 crop of corn ; but much depends upon the timeliness, regularity, and 

 thoroughness with which the hoeing is done. 



