FARM FRIENDS AND FARM FOES 



CHAPTER I 

 The Weeds of Roadsides and Waste Places 



ONE of the commonest sources of the seeding of culti- 

 vated lands is from the weeds that grow in such abun- 

 dance along roadsides and on neglected ground. A great 

 variety of weedy plants are to be found in these situa- 

 tions, and very often the weeds that first infest tillable 

 fields come from the seeds of these plants. Consequently 

 our study of weeds may well begin with these wayside 

 plants. 



When a plant is common and widely distributed, one 

 is pretty certain to find that it is splendidly equipped for 

 the battle of life. The Dandelion is a good example of 

 such a plant. The root is thick and tough and leathery, 

 running straight down into the ground with branches 

 toward the bottom. It is filled with a milky juice and is 

 intensely bitter to the taste. The thickened root enables 

 the plant to store up food one season for the sending 

 up of blossoms the next. The tough and leathery struc- 

 ture enables it to bear trampling by cattle without injury. 

 The bitter taste and milky juice protect it from being eaten 

 by insects or higher animals. 



The stem between the root and the leaves is so short 

 that there is practically none at all. This also saves the 

 plant from injury when it is trodden under foot. The 



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