Some Humbugs of Science 129 



teresting if it were cultivated in rows like 

 celery ? 



A farmer in Kentucky says that when 

 hard pressed he cut ragweed for hay and 

 fed it to his stock, but it did not make 

 good milk or butter. John Burroughs, to 

 whom he told this, declares that there is 

 little complimentary to say about the rag- 

 weed, that it is the bane of asthmatic pa- 

 tients, and about the only one of our weeds 

 that follows the plough and harrow. " Ex- 

 cept that it is easily destroyed, I would 

 suspect it to be an immigrant from the 

 Old World." It is remarkable how stout 

 some of Europe's pests will grow after 

 transplanting. Take thistles, house-spar- 

 rows, monocles, anarchists, fleas, Tam- 

 many, St. Johnswort, and how much more 

 obnoxious they become on our free soil 

 than they ever dared to be at home ! But 

 we have to thank Europe for many lend- 

 ings, none the less. "The hateful toad- 

 flax," as Burroughs calls it, is one of the 

 cheeriest yet most modest of wild flowers, 

 and makes as good a bouquet as orchids 

 do. Strip this " butter and eggs" from the 

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