I2o8 



Rural School Leaflet 



These weeds are easily controlled by mowing with the scythe. They 

 should be cut in summer before seeds are ripened. 



Canada thistle. — This weed is 

 very common, especially in 

 pastures. It occurs also in plow- 

 ed land. It may be distinguished 

 from other thistles by the root. 

 If a plant is dug up it will be 

 found to have heavy roots, called 

 rootstocks, which extend some 

 distance from the plant, parallel 

 with the surface of the ground. 

 These may be six to ten inches 

 below the surface. Every three 

 or four inches new plants grow 

 up from these. One seed may 

 in time produce a large patch 

 of these weeds from the roots 

 alone. 



The Canada thistle spreads 

 into new fields by means of 

 seeds. These seeds may be sown 

 with clovers, grasses, or even 

 oats. Moreover, the seed has 

 at the top a feathery attach- 

 ment which permits the seed 

 to sail away in the wind like a 

 balloon to a new home where it 

 will not be crowded by other 

 seeds. 



This weed lives many years 

 and spreads every year unless 

 destroyed. Merely plowing the 

 land once will not kill it. That 

 is the reason why it is so com- 

 mon in oat fields. A cultivated 

 crop that is carefully tilled 

 helps to destroy it. It can be 

 destroyed in pastures by mowing 

 twice a year, in June and 

 blossom. If the plants are not 



August. 



Canada thistle 

 It should not be allowed to 



too numerous they may be cut off below the surface of the ground and 



