DESCRIPTIVE MANUAL 



43 



Extermination. — Cultivation readily destroys the weed. When 

 it appears in the lawn it must be pulled up or the grass cut closer 

 to the ground. 



Chemical Composition. — The chemical composition of Yard 

 grass, Crowfoot, Crab grass, Wire grass (Eleusine indica) : (Cut 

 Aug. 11, 1880; grown in Pennsylvania) according to U. S. Dept. 

 Agr., Chem. Comp. Am. Grasses, 1884, p. 125, is as follows :* 



FRESH OR AIR DRY MATERIAL 



Candy Grass (Eragrostis major Host). 



Description. — A rather showy, much-branched annual, with erect 

 or ascending stems, 6 inches-2 or 3 feet high ; sheaths striate, smooth, 

 hairy at the throat ; ligule a fringe of short hairs ; leaf -blade flat, 

 3-10 in. long, 1-3 lines wide, somewhat scabrous on the upper sur- 

 face; panicle elliptical or oblong, the branches usually spreading, 

 flowered, 2-8 lines long, V/ 2 -2 lines broad, spikelets ovate to linear, 

 7-40 empty glumes nearly equal, ovate, obtuse, prominently nerved, 

 and scabrous on the keel ; palea ciliate on the keels. 



Distribution. — Eragrostis major is a weedy grass in all parts of 

 the state; introduced by the earliest settlers. 



Extermination. — This weed is easily exterminated by cultivation. 

 The best way to kill it is to cultivate corn in the soil and follow 

 with small grain. 



*Bull Off. Exp. Sta. 11; compiled by Jenkins and Winton. 



