land can send specimens post free to tlie Botanist of the Experimental Farm, 

 lit Ottawa: and full information al)out the plant will be forwarded to the 

 sender gladly and free of all charge, with as little delay as possible. It is 

 always better to send specimens when making enquiries, because so many 

 weeds are locally known by wrong names. Therefore, if information is 

 asked about a certain plant under a wrong name, it is very probable that the 

 treatment suggested may not be suitable. 



Farmers give very little critical attention to the different weeds growing 

 among their crops. Some think that, because these plants are in a measure 

 unfamiliar, the exact recognition of all of them is a matter beyond their 

 power. This, however, is by no means the case, and, as the different kinds 

 vary greatly in their powers of robbing the farmer, it is certainly advisable 

 that more attention should be given to weed pests than has been done in the 

 past. Although there are several hundreds of different kinds of plants 

 growing wild in almost every locality and many of these may sometimes 

 appear among cultivated crops, there are only a few which a farmer need 

 trouble about — not many more than there are different kinds of crops grown ; 

 and every cultivator of the soil knows the difference between wheat, barley, 

 oats, rye, peas, turnips, beets, etc. It is no more diiBcult, if the importance 

 of the subject is recognized, to learn the names, nature and appearance at 

 different stages of growth, and also the seeds of Stinkweed, Hare's-ear Mus- 

 tard, False-flax, Canada Thistle, Field Sowthistle, Sweet Grass, Quack, 

 etc., than to recognize the familiar plants which have been grown for many 

 years as crops. 



What is a Weed? 



There are many definitions of the word Weed, but perhaps from a far- 

 mer's standpoint the best one is: "any injurious, troublesome, or unsightly 

 plant that is at the same time iiseless or comparatively so." As a general 

 statement, it may be said that our most troublesome and aggressive weeds of 

 the farm have been introdiiced into Canada from other countries ; but it is also 

 true that under special circumstances some of our native wild plants may in- 

 crease and become "noxious weeds." 



Losses due to Weeds. 



That the losses due to the presence of weeds upon cultivated land are 

 enormous, is generally understood ; but it may not be amiss here to draw 

 special attention to some of the ways in which these enemies injure the tiller 

 of the soil. 



1. Weeds do great harm by robbing the soil of the plant food intended 

 for the crop and also of its moisture, thus increasing the effects of drought 

 by taking up water from the soil and wasting it by evaporation. 



2. Weeds crowd out and take the place of more useful plants, being 

 hardier, and, as a rule, more prolific. 



3. Weeds are a source of great loss. From the time farmers begin to 

 prepare their land for a crop, these enemies increase the cost of every opera- 

 tion — in ploughing, harrowing, seeding, cultivating, cutting, binding, carry- 

 ing and threshing, as well as in cleaning, freighting and marketing the 

 produce. Direct losses are the larger consumption of binder twine necessary 

 when weedy grain crops are harvested, and the extra wear and tear on 

 tnachinery d\ie to coarse-growing weeds. 



