68 CIVIC BIOLOGY 



the locality ? Discuss together as a class plans for bringing 

 them back to their native haunts. 



Weeds. Fighting weeds is often the most laborious and ex- 

 pensive part of gardening and of raising certahi staple crops. 

 It was formerly said that weeds were the gardener's friends, 

 because they made necessary the frequent stirring of the soil, 

 which was considered beneficial to plant growth. Recent ex- 

 periments in raising corn have shown equal production ^\'ith 

 absolutely none of this laborious stirring of the s(nl. In fad, 

 earlier experiments on the root system of the corn plant had 

 proved that the farmer actually, and ^ ery materially, redticed 

 his corn crop by deep cultivati(jn. Other crops await similar 

 investiofation. The results so far have been to rate the damao-e 

 cattsed by these '' robber plants " at much higher figures than 

 formerly. If we could prepare the ground and plant our gardens 

 and fields and never see a weed, the labor and cost of produc- 

 tion from the soil might be reduced nearl}', or quite, one half. 



Damage caused by weeds. Weeds are defined as '' plants 

 which persist in growing wdiere they are not wanted." Ko 

 less than seven hundred such plants are listed for tlie entire 

 United States. ]\Iake a list of weeds tliat are locally most 

 noxious. Weeds reduce yield of crops by crowding, and by 

 robbing the plants of water and food in the soil and of light 

 in the air. 'i'hey injure seeds and flour, cause objectionable 

 flavors in milk, and poison stock. A recent estimate by tlie 

 Division of Farm Management of the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture places the total annual damage of weeds 

 at $500,000,000. What part of this yearly tax is imposed on 

 your own home, garden, or farm ? What is the annual damage 

 and cost of fighting weeds in your district, township, county, 

 or state ? ^ Can you propose a plan of cooperative work \)y 

 which this may be reduced ? 



1 Secure your state bulletins on weeds to assist in workiuii out the prob- 

 lems sufjo-ested. Write also for the Weed Laws of your state. 



