i8 



WEEDS OF THE FARM AND GARDEN 



farmers that these docks are unusually common on low 

 ground, having been carried thither by water. Many 

 seeds, like those of pepper grass, are mucilaginous. In 

 walking through a patch of this weed 

 with moist shoes, many seeds are 

 caught and carried to new situa- 

 tions. 



Wild oats and many other seeds 

 may be found on land subject to 

 overflow. These seeds are scattered 

 in a mechanical way. 



Animals. Many of our weeds are 

 scattered by animals, this being 

 brought about either because the 

 plants offer something for food, as in 

 Fig. 10. The "seed" the ground-cherry, black nightshade, 

 of a common sedge dandelion and thistle, or because the 

 surrounded by an in- f ru it j s accidentally carried. Exam- 

 flated sac, scattered by , ,. ., , , , c- 1 



the water. (Beal.) P les of the Iatter . class are Spanish 

 bayonet or bootjack, cocklebur or 

 stick-seed, burdock, sandbur, and tick trefoil. 



Explosive Properties. We have but one weed the 

 seeds of which have explosive properties. This is the 

 yellow sorrel (O.valis), which is com- 

 mon in some fields. The outer coat 

 of the seed separates and the seed 

 is forced out of the pod as though 

 shot from it. 



Creeping Mechanisms. The 

 needle-grass is important as a weed 

 at times only, in gravelly pastures. 

 The seed of this grass has a sharp- 

 pointed callus and hairs above this 



, - 11*1 J * ** * A A I1C octunivt 



point that project obliquely upwards, fruit of arrow -head, 

 It has a long, twisted awn, and in scattered by water, 

 this way the seed not only creeps ( Bea1 -) 



Fig. ii Theseedlike 



