156 WEEDS 



Straw and similar material which has been used for pack- 

 ing and is likely to contain weed seeds should be burned or 

 rotted in compost to kill seeds. Stock bedding and feeds should 

 be produced on the farm whenever possible, instead of pur- 

 chased from a distance. 



Eradication. The fight against weeds already on the farm 

 will depend upon many conditions. Many weeds can be erad- 

 icated by sowing a crop which requires close cultivation ; others 

 by the use of smother crops ; others by the repeated sowing of a 

 quick-growing crop which can be pastured with sheep. 



The success of these and other treatments will depend in 

 some measure on the training of the farmer. It will be readily 

 seen that the methods used against annuals, biennials, and per- 

 ennials must necessarily vary. Therefore, the greater the famil- 

 iarity with the life history of the pest, the greater are the possi- 

 bilities for success. 



Perennial weeds will thrive best in fields where they are 

 least disturbed, as in pastures and hayfields. When such weeds 

 are gaining too strong a hold, many of them may be destroyed 

 by plowing the field and using it for cultivated crops for a few 

 years. Potatoes, corn, and other summer crops may be used, 

 but they should be well cultivated. 



Annual weeds are often very bad in grain fields or in corn 

 and other cultivated fields. They may be choked to some extent 

 by sowing the field very densely with grass for hay or pasture. 



EXERCISES RELATING TO WEEDS 



1. Make a collection of the noxious weeds of your neighborhood. 



2. Corn-field Weeds. Which ones of these are most commonly 

 found in cultivated fields? 



3. Pasture Weeds. Make a list of the weeds most common in the 

 pastures of the vicinity. 



4. In Grain Fields. If possible, examine a field of wheat or other 

 small grain, either while the grain is growing or after it is cut. Make 

 lists of the weeds 1 growing in the grain or in the field after harvest. 



