VARIOUS FARM PRODUCTS 541 



English Charlock, or Wild Mustard (Brassica arvensis et Sina- 

 pistrum). This is the commonest and worst pest among the Bras- 

 sicas ; it is the plant mostly called wild mustard. It is distinguished 

 from the others by its long knotted pod, with its stout, two-edged 

 beak. It is among the very worst weeds known to farmers, especi- 

 ally in the northern and mid- Western states, where oat growing is 

 largely practiced. It comes up and grows with the oats, remaining 

 in them when threshed, or having seeds already ripened when 

 mown for hay. With other Brassicas, charlock harbors the club- 

 root fungus, Plasmodiophora Brassicse. 



Seeds spherical, 1-16 inch in diameter, larger than those of 

 black mustard. Very common in hay, in seed oats, and in clover 

 seed; retaining their vitality for a long time when buried in the 

 soil. The measures here recommended will apply to black and 

 spreading mustard as well. The oat crop seems to be one particu- 

 larly favorable to the propagation of these two mustards. Infested 

 land may be rendered comparatively free from them by surface 

 burning and continuous cultivation in hoed crops or by spraying. 

 Where a limited quantity is to be dealt with, hand pulling from 

 the grain, is to be recommended. 



Spraying to destroy charlock and other mustards is a recent 

 practice which originated in France and became known in America 

 in 1898. Experiments in the United States and Canada have fully 

 confirmed the European results as to safe destruction of these weeds 

 by the spray. The method is to use a solution of either copper sul- 

 phate (blue vitriol) or iron sulphate (copperas) as a spray; of the 

 copper sulphate 2, 2% or 3 per cent solution (8, 10 or 12 Ibs. in 50 

 gallons), applying 40 to 50 gallons to the acre upon the fields of 

 grain containing mustard plants in dry weather either cloudy or 

 bright and sunny. The most effective results are obtained before 

 the mustard comes into bloom. While the cereals, such as corn, oats 

 and wheat, may show slight apparent injury at the time, the 

 injured plants appear to recover and the mustard is killed or pre- 

 vented from seeding. Showers soon after spraying may require 

 repetition of spray. This will kill or injure practically all plants 

 of the mustard family if applied on the foliage; to be especially 

 recommended in wheat and oats on this weed. Of the iron sulphate 

 solution, 15 to 20 per cent solution (60 to 80 Ibs. in 50 gallons) 

 may be employed as the chemical is cheaper though less active. 



Broad Plantain (Plantago major). The broad plantains are 

 annoying weeds, more particularly in manured land. They have 

 thick rootstock like the last, broad, oval, ribbed, green leaves and 

 the latter one named, very long tapering spikes of flowers and seeds. 

 In enriched fields seeded to clover and the like, the broad plantains 

 are frequently serious pests; they are ever present about yards and 

 waste places. The recognition of the plants is not a difficult matter, 

 but the recognition of the seed is all essential since it is so fre- 

 quently an impurity in clover seed. Seeds dark brown to black, very 

 irregular in shape, with rounded back and variously flattened ; sloped 

 or angled on the other side, 1-12 inch long or les^, by about one- 



