292 CITRUS FRUITS AND THEIR CULTURE. 



BEGGARWKED. (DESMODIUM TORTUOSUM.) 



Beggar weed is a 

 strong, erect, an- 

 nual plant. It is 

 a native of Florida 

 and is perfectly at 

 home in all parts 

 of the State. 

 When standing 

 apart, unshaded 

 by other plants, it 

 is much branched, 

 but closely plant- 

 ed, it produces a 

 single stem with- 

 out branches. In 

 soils where plenty 

 of tubercles are 

 formed, it fre- 

 quently grows to 



Fig. 68. Seed stem and flowering- stem of , . , , 



Beggarweed. a hei g ht f S1X Or 



eight feet, the stem 



being nearly three-quarters of an inch thick at the ground. 

 At the end of the season a goodly covering of par- 

 tially decayed foliage is found on the ground. As a 

 cover crop, it is easily managed. On many soils it should 

 not be allowed to grow throughout the whole season un- 

 checked, as the stems become hard, woody and difficult to 

 incorporate with the soil. The crop should be cut once 

 or twice during the season and if a good length of stub- 

 ble be left, it will stool out, producing another crop. 

 Each cutting may be allowed to decay on the surface, or 



