204 HOW TO LIVE IN THE COUNTRY 



bread of a high quality is made. The velvet bean 

 was a vine used only for ornament, but it has turned 

 out to be a producer of the largest quantity of valuable 

 hay and fodder known in the world. 



Many of our weeds are valuable also as soil binders, 

 while others, if handled rightly, lose all their trouble- 

 some qualities and can be added to our compost piles. 

 There are a few weeds, mainly those that run under 

 ground, or those that go to seed with great rapidity, 

 which get in the way so badly as to deserve their evil 

 reputation. Among these the Canada thistle, the 

 wild morning glory, and quack grass are supreme for 

 meanness. 



In the Southern States they have what they call 

 maiden cane grass, which is only our couch grass 

 magnified and intensified. It will take possession of 

 land with astounding rapidity, and its power to fight 

 for the ground occupied is surprising. There is this 

 thing about it, however, that even our couch grasses 

 make good hay if cut early, and you can fertilize 

 them to death. A good plan is to fence in these 

 ungovernable pests to hogs then move your hog 

 pen around until you have cleaned out a good sized 

 patch. 



Salt kills some things, but that is no reason why 

 it should be kept out of our gardens. It kills some 

 of the worst weeds, but it stimulates grass and feeds 

 asparagus. One of the very worst pests for a lawn 

 is moneywort, but fed well with salt it passes away 

 and at the same time grass takes its place. Use all 



