14 COMMON WEEDS 



Reduced by the Presence of Weed Seeds. The importance 

 of sowing clean seeds is fairly generally recognised, and 

 farmers, as a rule, prefer a high-class to a low-class 

 sample. At the same time it is to be feared that 

 sufficient care is not always exercised in the selection 

 of agricultural seeds. The reliable seed merchant is 

 certain only to offer a low price for samples of grain, 

 clover, grass, and other seeds badly infested with weed 

 seeds, for considerable trouble and expense is involved 

 in cleaning them. The seeds of Melampyrum arvense 

 darken wheat flour, and are stated to render the latter 

 dangerous to health. For milling purposes wheat is 

 much reduced in price if it contains much seed of Corn 

 Cockle, Black Bindweed, or wild or cultivated Tares ; 

 and clover samples containing Dodder and other weed 

 seeds are seriously depreciated in value. The Four- 

 teenth Annual Report of the Agricultural Experiment 

 Station of the University of Minnesota (1905-6) quotes 

 two cases in which wheat samples were respectively 

 docked 16 Ib. and 23 Ib. per bushel on account of 

 weed seeds, chiefly Wild Oats. This is perhaps an 

 extreme example, but it illustrates the serious nature 

 of weed infestation in certain cases. Agricultural seeds 

 surfer if weed seeds are present, not only because the 

 seed merchant must expend time and money in clean- 

 ing them, but if this be not done thoroughly the farmer 

 is faced with the introduction of new and harmful weeds 

 on his farm. (See also Chap. XI.) 



(i) Stoppage of Drains. It must be remembered, too, 

 that the growth of roots and underground stems is some- 

 times responsible for the stoppage of drains, and may, 

 therefore, cause considerable expenditure in correcting 

 this trouble. 



(/) General. From what we have seen, it will be 

 gathered that weeds are a source of great loss owing to 



