IQ4 SCIENCE OF HOME AND COMMUNITY 



live in the soil for many years and then germinate. Some 

 have been known to live as long as fifty years. It is a com- 

 mon thing for seeds to live ten or fifteen years. So when 

 the conditions for seed germination arrive in the spring 

 these seedlings spring up in the garden. If these are allowed 

 to grow, they reduce the yield of the garden, because they 

 rob the garden plants of water and plant food in the soil, 

 and they deprive the plants of sunlight above ground. 

 Weeds also make the garden look unsightly, and one of the 

 important things to do in caring for a garden is to keep down 

 the weeds by hoeing. 



FIELD EXERCISE 3 



Purpose. To identify the most common weeds found growing 

 in vegetable gardens. 



Directions, i. During the fall a trip may be taken to some 

 gardens in the vicinity in order to identify some of the more com- 

 mon weeds. 



2. For each weed studied record the following points in your 

 notebook. 



A. Name. 



B. Height. 



C. Character of growth (erect or prostrate). 



D. Leaves. 



a. Size and shape. 



b. Arrangement (opposite or alternate). 



c. Margin (entire, toothed, or lobed). 



d. Make drawing of leaf. 



E. Flower (brief description). 



F. Fruit and seeds (brief description). 



G. Chief characters by which identified. 



Insects. Insects are another common enemy of the garden. 

 Some plants grow without much interference from insects, 

 while other plants are almost always attacked by them. 

 Insects can be divided into two groups according to their 



