Gordon • The Conservation of Wild Flowers 193 



The amateur naturalist enjoys na- which may nest in low vegetation of 



ture without destroying it. He is a this type ... arc the field sparrow, 



nature lover as weh as a student of vesper sparrow, grasshopper sparrow, 



nature. He prefers to see wild flowers dickcissel, and northern yellow-throat, 



and wild animals in their natural sur- We can scarcely doubt the distinct 



roundings rather than to see them car- value of these birds to agriculture. Do 



ried home as prizes. He desires nature we not go a bit too far sometimes in 



sanctuaries where rare species of plants the spoilage of nature to our own 



and animals are free to live their lives economic loss? 



without danger of extermination. The roadside weeds furnish nesting 



sites for a number of useful birds. Dr. 



WILD FLOWERS AND WEEDS Lawrcucc E. Hicks, while employed as 



a research ornithologist by the Ohio 

 Flowering plants which grow with- Division of Conser\'ation in 1930, 

 out cultivation and which we admire found that game birds are tremen- 

 because of form and color are called dously attracted to roadside situations, 

 wild flowers. Those which become pests A survey made in Union County dis- 

 in cultivated fields, pastures, and lawns closed that a highway mower, in the 

 are called weeds. It presents a problem distance of IVi miles, had uncovered 

 to the farmer to eradicate such plants six nests of the pheasant and sixteen 

 from his land. To a city dweller the nests of the bob white. Others may 

 sight of a field of goldenrod and pur- have been missed. All nests found were 

 pie ironweed in late summer may call deserted. Dr. Hicks therefore recom- 

 forth an expression of delight. To the mends elimination of all roadside mow- 

 farmer on whose land such plants are ing by farmers, county commissioners, 

 growing they may be decidely unwel- township trustees, the state highway 

 come tenants. department, or other parties, before 

 On the other hand, the ragweeds July 10, in order to protect nesting 

 (Ambrosia), the pigweeds {Amaran- birds. 

 thus), and the goosefoots {Chenopo- 



dium) are popular with no one. The use of wild flowers in decoration 

 ragweeds have been convicted of being 



the source of much of the "hay fever" A number of our "wild flowers" 



hitherto blamed on the goldenrod. lend themselves to decorative purposes. 



For the most part these are weeds of Early spring flowers, as a rule do not 



cultivated fields and the farmer knows last long when picked and placed in- 



how to deal with them. doors. The common blue violet {Viola 



Weeds in pasture land usually indi- papilionacea) is an exception, and has 



cate low fertility or overgrazing. Where merited its popularity because of its 



a good bluegrass sod is developed the long flower stalks, 



majority of weeds do not get a start. The oxeye daisy {Chry^santhemum 



Those which do become established leucanthemum) blooms prolifically m 



can be removed with a scvthe or com- June on some of our poorest soils. Be- 



knife before thev go to seed. cause of its abundance, the flowers are 



Many of the weeds are not so en- often picked in large quantity, and 



tirelv obnoxious as is sometimes be- hundreds of blossoms crowded into a 



lieved. A "weed patch" mav harbor a pail. This shows poor taste. Fewer 



number of small but usefuf songbirds, flowers, relieved by those of some other 



Song sparrows frequently build nests color or a bit of green foliage, are far 



in clumps of goldenrod. Other species more attractive. 



