58 FARM WEEDS OF CANADA 



Tumble Weed {Amaranthus graecizans L.) is another Amar- 

 anth very abundant throughout the country, but particularly 

 so in the West. It is a bushy annual, branched, erect or creeping, 

 but not rooting at the nodes, with whitish stems and small oval 

 leaves, gradually narrowed towards the base. Small clusters 

 of flowers or fruits are borne in the axils of most of the leaves. 

 When mature, these plants break off at the ground and are blown 

 long distances by the wind, scattering their seeds as they go. 



Spreading or Low Amaranth (Amaranthus blitoides Watson). 

 This species resembles Tumble Weed, but has rather larger, 

 rounder leaves with prostrate, diffusely branching, somewhat 

 fleshy stems, which form large mats attached to the central 

 root. This is a native of the western prairies but is frequent 

 along railways in the East. The seed, which is often found in 

 alfalfa, clover and grass seeds from the western states, can be 

 easily distinguished from that of Tumble Weed by its larger 

 size, 1/15 of an inch in diameter, which is nearly twice that of the 

 other species. It is the same size as Maple-leaved Goosef oot seed. 



Her fallow leas 



The darnel, hemlock, and rank fumitory. 



Doth root upon, and nothing teems 



But hateful docks, rough thistles, kecksies, burs. 

 Losing both beauty and utility. 



And as our vineyards, fallows, meads, and hedges, 

 Defective in their natures, grow to wildness; 

 Even so our houses, and ourselves, and children. 

 Have lost, or do not learn, for want of time. 

 The sciences that should become our country. 



Shakespeare, Henry V, Act V, sc. ii, 1.599. 



Weeds are nourislied by the same food that would nourish useful plants; and there- 

 fore, when allowed to grow along with them, must rob them of part of tlieir food. Altho' 

 it is allowed, that the food of all plants is not exactly of the same kind ; yet as plants take 

 in whatever juices, or small particles of matter are touched by their roots, it may be justly 

 said, that all kinds deprive the earth of that vegetable food wliich would nourish others. 

 Experience convinces the farmer of the truth of this; for he finds, tliat his crop is bad 

 in proportion to the quantity and kinds of weeds with which his land is infested. 



.A.dam Dickson, A Treatise on Agriculture, 1785. 



