sight the seeds of the fifteen or twenty worst weeds which are likely to be 

 found among the seeds of cereals, clovers and grasses, as well as among some 

 garden seeds. He should always examine for himself all crop seeds he 

 buys, no matter what guarantee of purity he may get from the sellers. The 

 seeds of most weeds are small and therefore it is necessary to examine them 

 through a magnifying glass. A suitable glass, however, for this purpose 

 can be purchased anywhere for twenty-five or fifty cents. All of the weed 

 seeds have characteristic shapes, colours and markings, by which, after a 

 little practice, they are just as easily recognized as the crop seeds among 

 which they occur. 



For ease of reference, it has been thought best to arrange the plants 

 treated of in this bulletin in their natural botanical order, as given in Prof. 

 Macoun's Catalogue of Canadian Plants. Where necessary, a short account 

 has also been given of the different families of plants. 



In the descriptive matter accompanying each plate will be found a care- 

 ful description, giving the salient points by which the seed of each plant 

 represented may be recognized; and at the end of the volume are given some 

 plates showing these seeds, both of their natural size and also much enlarged 

 80 as to show the same seed as it appears under the ordinary pocket magnify- 

 ing glass. In addition to the seeds of the plants figured and described, 

 representations are also given of some other weed seeds which are likely to 

 be found among crop seeds offered for sale in the market or which are likely 

 to occur among crops grown by farmers in Canada. Each kind of seed on 

 the plates is well represented in colours and is plainly marked with that 

 name which is l^est known to the largest number of people interested, or 

 which is used over the widest area of country. It is hoped that these will be 

 useful to the large number of farmers, seedsmen and students, who are direct- 

 ing much more attention than formerly to this important subject. 



Botanical Terms Explained. 



In treating of the various weeds mentioned in this bulletin, it will be 

 necessary for the sake of brevity to make occasional use of a few botanical 

 terms which may not be familiar to all. A list of these is given below with 

 explanations. 



Achene — A dry one-seeded fruit in a hard close-fitting shell which opens 



only when burst by the germinating seed. 

 Anther — See Stamen. 

 Apical Scar — The mark on a fruit, where the style or stigma was 



attached. 

 Axil — The angle between a leaf and a stem. 

 Basal Scar — The mark on a fruit, where it was attached to the peduncle, 



or on a seed where it was attached to the seed vessel. 

 Bract — A small leaf bearing a flower in its axil. 

 Calyx — The outer sot of leaves in a flower. 

 Compound — Composed of several similar parts. 

 Corolla — The iuner set of leaves in a flower, generally eolourcd. 

 Corymb — A raceme in which the footstalks are gradually lengthened 



from the apex downwards, so that all the flowers are brought to 



the same level or nearly so. 

 Cyme — A panicle with the footstalks so developed or contracted as to 



form a flat-topped head, the central flowers generally blooming 



first; examples: Elder, Dogwood. 

 Dentate — With toothed edges. 



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