38 EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



and will continue to increase, owing to our more extended com- 

 mercial relations with foreign countries. The only possible 

 way to check it is to restrict commercial enterprise, which it is 

 needless to say is an absurd proposition. At the present day we 

 import one thousand plants from foreign countries where years 

 ago only one was imported, and there is scarcely any section of 

 the globe with which we have not commercial relations. 



The wool imported into our State comes from many sources, 

 and the wool waste, containing many foreign seeds, when thrown 

 out on dumps is responsible for many of our foreign plants. A 

 large number of manufacturers import their raw material, and 

 railroads are common carriers of weed seeds. Plants of this 

 description are sent to the station every year for identification, 

 and it is our purpose to have these preserved in the State herba- 

 rium, located at the college. Records are also kept of these 

 foreign plants for future reference. 



Our weeds may be conveniently divided into the follow- 

 ing classes: first, those which are common to lawns, such as 

 dandelions, plantain, moneywort, etc. Second, those which are 

 common to grass lands, such as the white daisy, dock, sorrel, 

 wild carrot, witch grass, golden hawkweed, etc. Third, those 

 which are found in cultivated fields and gardens, like chick- 

 weed, pursley, shepherd's purse, etc. Fourth, those found on 

 roadsides and dumps, like burdock, ragweed and various others, 

 many of which are recent introductions. Eifth, those which are 

 common to pastures, often native plants, like sweet fern, etc. 

 Einally, the so-called native weeds, which under modern condi- 

 tions find favorable opportunities for growth. There is a con- 

 siderable number of the latter class which adapt themselves to 

 open places, roadsides, etc., and which are often troublesome in 

 fields. Many of these plants arc undesirable, that is, they are 

 often found growing where they are not wanted, and in this 

 sense are weeds. As an illustration of this type of plant may 

 be mentioned Potentilla frnUcosa, L., a native plant which often 

 becomes very troublesome in pastures in western Massachusetts. 

 Dr. R. M. Harper^ has recently given a tentative list of the 

 so-called native weeds which he has observed growing in south- 

 ern New England. The large open spaces which now prevail 



J Torrey Bulletin, 190S. 



