EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. r.OT 



with its wide-spreading limbs close to the ground, and the tangle of 

 grapevines climbing over it at one end of the plot, with the asters and 

 the grapevines at the other. The longlived plants had won in the 

 struggle for the possession of the soil. 



Notes taken upon the weed belt upon June 26th record that the 

 strongest growing weeds were the melilot, along the border, and the 

 aster and grajx'vines within. A bromus (B. ciliatus L.) was alniml- 

 ant, and the following fruiting weeds were in evidence: ""YoUow 

 Rocket," "Dock," "Sorrel," "Ox-Eye," "Carrot" and "Oxalis." Two 

 weeks later (July 10th) there were, in addition, "Fleabane," "Golden- 

 rod," "Smartweed," "Plantain," "Bindwood," "Dandelion" and 

 "Catch-fly." Various clovers, bluegrass and ragweed were to be found. 



On account of the discontinuance of the experiment in the middle 

 of the weed season, it is not possible to give a rank to the species the 

 present year. It is not likely that it would differ materially from that 

 of last season, which, with the seven preceding it, are given below : 



Botanical Name. Common Name. 1897. IMS. 1899. 1900. 1901. 1902. 190^. 1904. 



Aster paniculatus Lam. ( ?) Aster 13 7 1 



Amhrosia artemisiwfolia Li Ragweed 3 5 1 1 14 12 13 2 



Pol}igonium Peiinsylvaimum L. . .Smavtweed ... 63 2 2 4 4 6 3 



ilelilotus alba L,am Sweet Clover 12 10 10 4 4 



Oxalis stricta L. Oxalis 8 11 11 12 5 



J'umex acetosella L Sorrel 7 4 3 1 1 1 t> 



Plantago Rugclii L Plantain 12 7 



Abutilon Almtilon L. Velvet Leaf .. . 72 6 6 3 511 S 



Ixophorus glauca (L.) Foxtail Grass 7 9 



Bromus ciliatus L Brome Grass 10 



Daucus carota Ij Wild Carrot. . . 12 . . . . 4 5 2 2 11 



Barbarea Barbarca (L.) Yellow Rocket 11 12 



Bidens frondosa L Beggars' Ticks IS 



AcalypJia Virginica L Mercury 14 



It is seen that four of the species that were in the first list (1897 ) 

 are still among the first fourteen, and it is to be observed that the 

 ragwged holds nearly the same rank this season as it did eight years 

 l>efore. It has been first on the list for two years, and in 1901 it was 

 the last to get a record. It is also to be noted that a rank-growing 

 aster came in two j-ears ago, and has gone rapidly to the first placi'. 



The experience of the nine years suggests that there are many 

 things that may interfere with the prevalence of any weed, not the 

 least of which are qualities within the species, which, however, may 

 be dominated by the characteristic of those weeds that are contending 

 for supremacy. Under the conditions of the exiieriment the perennial 

 species gained the up|3erhand, and doubtless, in the long run, the hind 

 would have become forest clad. 



