MORE ABOUT WEEDS 



139 



which contains the seeds of wild mustard, when this can 

 be helped. 



The Wild Parsnip, Pastinaca saliva. The wild pars- 

 nip is the wild form of the common garden parsnip, and is 

 hence readily known. The illustra- 

 tion, Figure 76, is from a plant taken 

 from a meadow, and of which the 

 root leaves had perished. 



The plant is biennial, forming its 

 root leaves the first season and its 

 flower stalk the second. Perhaps the 

 best method of destroying the young 

 plants is by pulling them out at a time 

 when the soil is filled with water and 

 the roots may be drawn out nearly 

 entire. Cutting off the young plants 

 with the hoe tends rather to increase 

 than to kill them. Cutting the flower 

 stalks of the second year plants be- 

 fore the seeds are old enough to 

 become ripe will prevent spreading 

 by the seeds, and, as the parent plant 

 has run its course, it will soon perish. 



The Russian Thistle (called, also: 

 Russian cactus, Saltwort, Tartar 

 weed, Hector weed), Salsola kali, 

 variety Iragus. The Russian thistle 

 is an annual plant, coming each 

 year from the seed. It grows from a single, small, 

 light-colored root less than half an inch through and 

 from six to twelve inches in length, to the height of 



FIG. 76. Wild parsnip. 



