VI 

 ROADSIDES AND NEGLECTED CORNERS 



30. A Chapter on Weeds. How they grow and how you 

 can kill them. 



NOTE. Of the following list choose for study only those which are 

 common in your neighborhood or which are likely to invade it. 



1. Common Ragweed, Ambrosia artemisicefolia. 



2. Giant Ragweed, Ambrosia trifida. 



3. False Sunflower, Iva xanthiifolia. 



4. Dog Fennel, Anthemis coluta. 



5. Canada Thistle, Cnicus arvensis. 



6. Burdock, Arctium Lappa. 



7. Sweet Clover, MeMlotus alba. 



8. Russian Thistle, Salsola Kali. 



These weeds can be studied at any time from July to October. 

 Teach the children to recognize them at all stages of development, 

 beginning with the seedling. The following descriptions refer to the 

 plants in flower. 



Nos. 1 to 6 belong to the Composite family, but the 

 flowers in the first three are small and greenish, although 

 very many of them are set close together. The two Ragweeds 

 have the staminate and the pistillate flowers in separate 

 heads. Both are exceedingly common in all our Northern 

 States east of the Rocky Mountains. It would be difficult 

 to find a road in this territory along which these two weeds 

 are not found in profusion, if they are left undisturbed. 



The Giant Ragweed grows from one to twelve feet high ; the 

 Common Ragweed attains a height of about three feet. The 



Observations. The great abundance of house flies, moths, and all 

 kinds of insects. 



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