194 PEPACTON 



greatest enemies of the weeds, but they are in reality 

 their best friends. Weeds, like rats and mice, in- 

 crease and spread enormously in a cultivated coun- 

 try. They have better food, more sunshine, and 

 more aids in getting themselves disseminated. They 

 are sent from one end of the land to the other in 

 seed grain of various kinds, and they take their 

 share, and more too, if they can get it, of the 

 phosphates and stable manures. How sure, also, 

 they are to survive any war of extermination that 

 is waged against them! In yonder field are ten 

 thousand and one Canada thistles. The farmer 

 goes resolutely to work and destroys ten thousand 

 and thinks the work is finished, but he has done 

 nothing till he has destroyed the ten thousand and 

 one. This one will keep up the stock and again 

 cover his fields with thistles. 



Weeds are Nature's makeshift. She rejoices in 

 the grass and the grain, but when these fail to cover 

 her nakedness she resorts to weeds. It is in her 

 plan or a part of her economy to keep the ground 

 constantly covered with vegetation of some sort, 

 and she has layer upon layer of seeds in the soil 

 for this purpose, and the wonder is that each kind 

 lies dormant until it is wanted. If I uncover the 

 earth in any of my fields, ragweed and pigweed 

 spring up; if these are destroyed, harvest grass, or 

 quack grass, or purslane, appears. The spade or 

 plow that turns these under is sure to turn up some 

 other variety, as chickweed, sheep-sorrel, or goose- 

 foot. The soil is a storehouse of seeds. 



