368 COMMON WEEDS 



Although the foregoing brief account is given to 

 enable the farmer or gardener to make rough tests 

 for his own satisfaction at home, we still believe it will, 

 in general, be wiser for the average purchaser to 

 submit samples for expert opinion. There are, how- 

 ever, a number of well-known firms whose seeds may 

 be absolutely relied on to be what they profess. 



WEED SEEDS IN COMMERCIAL SAMPLES OF CLOVER 

 AND GRASS SEEDS 



As already pointed out, many weeds gain access to 

 the farm in impurities in commercial samples of red, 

 white, and alsike clovers, kidney vetch, lucerne, rye- 

 grass, timothy and other grasses used for sowing down 

 temporary pastures. 



Many farm seeds of this class are harvested from 

 unclean land, or gathered by hand by women and 

 children who have no very special incentive to gather 

 the right kind of seed exclusively. On this account 

 there is necessity for thorough cleaning operations, 

 which should be carried out when the sample reaches 

 the seedsman. Unfortunately farmers do not exercise 

 all the care which they might in the purchase of their 

 seeds, and they are not infrequently offered, by irre- 

 sponsible persons, samples of clovers and ryegrass 

 which have not been through suitable machinery, 

 which would clear out all objectionable weed seeds. 



The only way to deal with trouble of this kind is 

 to purchase direct from seedsmen who have properly 

 equipped establishments in which their wares can be 

 thoroughly cleaned, and whose reputation for a good 

 article is worthy of being maintained. 



The plants whose seeds are most commonly found 

 among farm seeds are given below. With proper 



