IRSITY 



FARM WEEDS OF CANADA 



BY JAMES FLETCHER, OTTAWA. 



INTRODUCTORY. 



The annual losses due to the occurrence of pernicious weeds upon farm 

 lands, although acknowledged in a general way, are far greater than is 

 actually realized. Where, however, a proper course of treatment based 

 upon an accurate knowledge of the nature of each weed is adopted, these 

 losses can be lessened very appreciably. 



The present time seems to be particularly opportune for urging the need 

 of systematic and united effort on the part of all engaged in the cultivation 

 of the soil, in striving by every means in their power to fight against the in- 

 creasing prevalence of many weeds of the farm. The recent enactment of the 

 Seed Control Act and the very considerable losses to the farmers of the 

 Western Provinces owing to the presence of such a large percentage of foul 

 seeds in the bountiful crop of 1905, have awakened a keen interest, which, 

 it is hoped, will induce a closer study of those general principles which affect 

 the question of the introduction, spread and development of all weeds of the 

 farm, as well as of the methods by which even the worst of these may be 

 eradicated. These methods are all founded on a knowledge of the individual 

 nature of each kind of weed, and there is no weed known which cannot be 

 controlled and cleared from farm lands that are cultivated as they ought to 

 be, with a suitable rotation of crops and with the ordinary implements now 

 in use by Canadian farmers. 



The subject of farm weeds and their eradication is now one of burning 

 interest to all cultivators of the soil in every part of the Dominion. This 

 interest is shown by frequent enquiries for the correct names and nature of 

 any strange plants found growing among crops, and for advice as to the best 

 means of controlling them. During the past ten years several official bul- 

 letins on weeds have been issued and widely distributed. In all of these 

 publications the same names are given for the different weeds. It is, there- 

 fore, clearly important that those for whose benefit the bulletins have been 

 prepared, should know the plants treated of by the names there used, so that 

 they may be able to make the fullest use of the information supplied. 



In the fight against noxious weeds, the first thing of importance is to 

 know a weed when seen and to call it by its true name, not necessarily its 

 botanical name, but the name by which it' is generally known and written 

 about in agricultural publications. Local names, unfortunately, are very 

 often wrong. There are, for instance, at least half a dozen plants of quite 

 different habits, which are locally known under the name of "Eussian 

 Thistle"; "Ragwort" is a name applied to several plants; "Black Mustard", 

 again, is used for two or three troublesome plants of the Mustard family, 

 whereas the true Black Mustard is seldom seen in Canada, and has nowhere 

 appeared as a farm pest. "Chicory", "Milkweed" and "Bindweed" are 

 names applied to many different plants. It cannot be made too widely 

 known that anyone wishing t'o learn the names or nature of plants-found on hi." 



