WEEDS AND WEED CONTROL 257 



1 1 . There are several other precautions which should be taken in the 

 control of weeds. One of these is care to prevent the introduction of 

 weeds in the manure used as a fertilizer and in the hay and straw brought 

 on to the farm. 



12. Pasturing weed infested fields will help to keep the weeds in check, 

 especially , if sheep are allowed to browse in the weedy pastures. Goats are 

 more omnivorous than sheep. 



13. The open fields may be burned repeatedly, when the herbage is 

 dry, and this annual conflagration aids in keeping the weeds in check. 



WEED LEGISLATION 



Weed destruction and control requires individual and collective, or 

 communal effort. This arises from the manner of the dispersal of weed 

 seeds. If one farmer neglects his farm and allows the weeds to get the 

 mastery, his neighbors' fields will be covered by the dispersion of 

 the weed seeds in all directions. This fact and the perversity of human 

 nature necessitates that laws be made to control the weed problem of 

 state or community. Many American states have adopted weed stat- 

 utes. To be effective a weed law must be specific with respect to the weeds 

 to be destroyed, while the dates assigned for work and the methods em- 

 ployed must be adapted to these plants. It must be open to change as 

 to the plants named in the law, because there is the constant introduction 

 of new and troublesome w r eeds. A weed law should furthermore, impose 

 weed destruction in such manner as to lay the least burden, while at the 

 same time fixing the responsibility upon the persons using the land, who are 

 benefitted by it. A weed law must be operative. The careless user of 

 land is often an offender. A definite officer should be charged with the 

 supervision of such matters as may come within his purview. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY 



AMERICAN WRITER: Weeds. Gardeners' Chronicle & Agricultural Gazette. 1873, 



1419 (October, 18). 

 BEAL, W. J.: Michigan Weeds. Bulletin 267 (Second Edition), Michigan Agricultural 



College Experiment Station, Botanical Department, November, 1915. 

 GATES, J. S.: The Weed Factor in the Cultivation of Corn. Bulletin 257, Bureau of 



Plant Industry, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 1912. 

 Cox, H. R.: Wild Onion: Methods of Eradication. Farmers' Bulletin 610, U. S. 



Department of Agriculture, 1914. Weeds: How to Control Them. Farmers' 

 17 



