188 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 
63 VICTORIA, A. 1900 
seeds very early in the season ; therefore, if land is harrowed before sowing and the 
grain sown in favourable weather, the crop, as a rule, gets well ahead and keeps the lead 
over the weeds, so that these do not develop to an injurious extent. In springs when 
there is cold weather after seeding, the seeds of the hardier weeds germinate more 
quickly than any of the cultivated grains, and in the constant struggle which goes on 
throughout the season between a crop and its weed enemies, the one which gets the best 
start, as a rule, holds the advantage to the end. The farmer is able to help much in 
this struggle to his own advantage, by using improved methods of farming suited to his 
own land and the variations of the season, 
Remedy.—With annual weeds, the main point to be aimed at is to destroy them as 
seedlings and as soon as possible after the green seed leaves appear. No weed seedling 
can spring up on land except from a seed, and, if all weeds can be destroyed by any 
means before they ripen their seeds, the land, in time, must become clean. The method 
of harrowing growing grain lately practised in the West with excellent results is, I believe, 
the cheapest and best means of controlling Lamb’s Quarters and all other annual weeds 
which every year do so much harm in western wheat fields, many of which are so large 
that no other manner of treating them is practicable. 
Witp Buckwueat (Polygonum Convolvulus, L.).—Annual. Introduced. In 
certain seasons this climbing bindweed is a terrible pest in the West, many acres of crop 
being entirely ruined by it. The seeds ripen very irregularly, some of them before the 
date at which summer-fallows are generally turned down. Western farmers, however, 
are wisely summer-fallowing much earlier and oftener than has been the custom in the 
past, and, although in this way they may increase their labour to the extent of one or 
even two harrowings, there is no doubt that many weeds will noticeably decrease in 
abundance, this abuudance having been largely due to the frequency with which ripe 
seeds were ploughed down upon land summer-fallowed after the middle of July. Speak- 
ing of the last year or two, Mr. Willing says: ‘Wild Buckwheat and Lamb’s Quarters 
are getting away with as large a share of the farmer’s profit as any of the weeds which 
occur here.’ 
Remedy.—The early and regular summer-fallowing of land every third year. Mr. 
Braithwaite has tried and strongly recommends a method of treating land infested with 
Wild Buckwheat. He says: ‘I have found that, if an ordinary harrow be turned 
upside down so that the nuts and the tops of the teeth only protrude, a growing crop of 
grain may be cleaned of most of the Wild Buckwheat by simply dragging the inverted 
harrows across it. Of course, if a weeder is used at the right time this will never be 
necessary, but this weed germinates very quickly and roots “deeply. When it has about 
three leaves, it is very tender and the harrows will break off or pull up millions of plants 
or check them and give the grain a chance.’ 
Russian PIGWEED (Aaxyris amarantoides, L.).—Annual. Introduced. This is a 
tall coarse-growing plant with a hard woody stem which up to the present has not given 
much trouble in grain fields but is spreading rapidly in Manitoba and the Territories 
along railways. Farmers will do well to watch it closely and prevent its increase. It 
belongs to the same family as the Lamb’s Quarters. 
Cow Cocke (Saponaria Vaccaria, L.).—Called also Soapwort, Cow Herb and 
China Cockle. A soft succulent annual with pretty pink flowers, belonging to the Pink 
Family, which was introduced into southern Manitoba from Europe. It has spread 
with rather alarming rapidity through many parts of the prairie provinces. The seeds 
are round, hard and “black, two or three times as large as those of Wild Mustard, the 
surface is ‘slightly roughened, a character by which they can be easily distinguished from 
the seeds of wild vatichies, shite are of about the same size. 
Great RaGweeD (Ambrosia trifida, L.).—Annual. Native. This is the ‘Crown- 
weed’ of millers. As an aggressive weed the Great Ragweed seems to be largely con- 
