WEEDS. 247 



ered the most injurious, all of them are represented 

 in Indiana; although the order of injuriousness here, 

 is, in my opinion, not the same as that given in Mr. 

 Halstead's list. 



The Canada thistle and couch or quick grass, which 

 are ranked first and second in his list, are, as yet, 

 found only in restricted areas in northern Indiana. 

 The common names of the remaining 18 species of 

 the list in the order given are as follows : Cocklebur, 

 bur-grass, crab or finger grass, rag-weed, field sorrel, 

 pig-weed, horse- weed or great rag-weed, fox-tail, 

 lamb's-quarters, ox-eye daisy, purslane, curled dock, 

 barn-yard grass, bind-weed, shepherd's purse, com- 

 mon thistle, burdock and jimson. 



Each of these weeds has its favorite locality of 

 growth ;" for instance, the great rag- weed, cocklebur 

 and bind-weed are found almost exclusively in the 

 rich alluvial soil of the bottoms; burdock and jim- 

 son-weed in waste grounds about stables and old 

 dwellings ; rag- weed and foxtail in cultivated upland 

 soil ; bur-grass along the sandy banks 'of streams, and 

 so on through the list. 



To the botanist, one of the most interesting points 

 in connection with these 20 weeds is the fact that 15 

 of them are introduced or foreign plants which have 

 become naturalized from Europe or Asia; the two 

 rag-weeds, bind-weed, bur-grass and couch-grass com- 

 prising the five American or native species. Indeed, 

 America seems to be not only the " home for the 

 oppressed of all nations," but her soil seems to suit 

 exactly those weeds which are the off-scourings and 

 refuse of civilization in all countries. Grant Allen 



