LAWN BEAUTIFICATION 289 



given in the beginning. Never is the old saying 

 "A stitch in time saves nine" better exemplified 

 than in the case of weeds. 



As has already been intimated, many fields are 

 infested with weeds through the introduction of 

 the seeds in the seeding of the crops to be grown. 

 Weeds that thrive particularly well with certain 

 crops sometimes produce seeds so like the seeds 

 of the crop in size and appearance that it is often 

 practically impossible to separate them. 



In many sections a weed known as corn cockle 

 (Agrostemma) is a pest in wheat fields. So 

 nearly do the seeds of the corn cockle resemble 

 the kernels of wheat in weight and size that for a 

 long time it was almost impossible to separate 

 the cockle ^eeds from the wheat. This, of course, 

 caused millers a great deal of trouble, for the 

 corn cockle seeds have a black shell about them 

 which discolors the flour. Finally a special 

 machine was constructed for the removal of 

 cockle seeds. 



The perennial morning-glory, commonly called 

 the devil's-shoestring, has often palmed seeds off 

 for wheat among screenings fed to poultry, being 

 about the same size and has established itself on 

 much of the best soils in California. 



The darnel (Lolium) commonly called cheat, 

 infests grain fields in some sections and so well 



Vol. 7— Bur. J 



