CHAPTER XIV 



WEEDS 



ANY plant which grows where it is not wanted is a 

 weed. " A weed is a plant out of place/' It is usually 

 only when plants are carried away from their own 

 country into new and very favorable conditions, 

 that they become troublesome weeds. All the worst 

 weeds of the Pacific slope come from Europe or the 

 Eastern states. The seeds are carried by ships or by- 

 railway and quickly spread over the country. If we 

 could keep a sharp watch and kill them out before they 

 get a good start, much trouble would be saved. 



Weeds are of two kinds: 



(1) Annual weeds, which set seed the first year of 

 their growth and then die. 



(2) Perennial weeds, which do not die at the end of 

 the first season of growth. Their stems or roots live 

 underground until the next season, and then grow up 

 again. They can only be got rid of by cutting them 

 down as fast as they appear above ground. If this 

 is done for a season, they will disappear. But it will 

 not do to stop this work even for a short time, or they 

 will make a fresh start. 



Weeds in lawns and gardens are sometimes killed 



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