SEED SOWING 209 



TUMBLE WEEDS 



But the wind furnishes power to scatter seeds of 

 some plants in another odd and remarkable fashion. 

 Certain plants, known as tumble weeds, on matur- 

 ing dry up and break loose from their roots. They 

 then travel over the ground like automobiles, driven 

 by the wind. As they go, they scatter their seeds 

 all along their paths. The best known of these 

 plants is the tumble weed (Amarantus graecizans) 

 of the Middle West, a sketch of which is shown 

 here. It is said to be most fantastic, the action of 

 a whole field full of these weeds, how they all scurry 

 in one direction, lodge under the windward side 

 of a fence, then suddenly leap the barrier like a 

 flock of scared sheep following a leader, or fleeing 

 from some imaginary danger. 



The Amarantus biltoides, a near kin to the 

 tumble weed, though chiefly to be found west of 

 the Mississippi, occurs occasionally beside railway 

 lines in the East, having 

 come in with the railroad 

 ballast, which goes to prove 

 that our plants take advan- 

 tage of the most improved 

 methods for shipping their 

 seeds. QUEEN ANNE'S LACE 



