WEEDS POISONOUS TO STOCK AND CHILDREN. 15 



d. They increase the cost of any crop not only by taking the 

 time of labor to keep them in subjection, but by retarding, espe- 

 cially in cereal crops, the work of preparing the ground, seeding, 

 harvesting, threshing, cleaning the grain and marketing the out- 

 put. 



c. They cause a greater wear and tear on farm machinery, 

 especially mowers, binders and threshing machines, often causing 

 them to clog and break. 



/. They frequently necessitate an unprofitable change in the 

 rotation of crops, causing the farmer to produce some crop of little 

 profit in order the more quickly to get rid of a certain weed. 



g. Some weeds such as corn cockle and wild garlic are espe- 

 cially injurious to wheat, as when ground with it they render the 

 flour poisonous and unpalatable. Others, as buckhorn, dodder and 

 field sorrel, produce seeds which are very difficult to separate from 

 the seeds of clover, thus greatly increasing the cost of the latter. 



Ji. Very few weeds furnish pasture or food for stock and some 

 of them, as the water hemlock, sneezeweed, etc., are very poison- 

 ous when eaten by them. The burs of others are very annoying 

 in wool, the manes of horses or the tails of horses and cattle. 



i. Weeds such as the nightshades, water hemlock, bitter sweet, 

 pokeweed, jimson, etc., often cause the death or serious illness of 

 children. 



j. Many weeds furnish food or hibernating places for injurious 

 insects. Examine carefully the winter rosettes or root-leaves of a 

 mullen, or note the melon lice on shepherd's purse and pepper- 

 grass, and be convinced. Others are propagating plants for rusts 

 and mildews which attack vegetables and small grains of many 

 kinds. 



/). Finally most weeds are unsightly objects, being at some or 

 all stages of their existence eyesores whose presence not only in- 

 dicates a negligent and slovenly farmer but damages the appear- 

 ance and lessens the value of any land which he may wish to sell. 



BENEFITS OF WEEDS. 



To the practical farmer, who delights in a highly productive 

 and clean farm, weeds offer apparently little of value to offset their 

 many disadvantages. Yet they possess some virtues and are not 

 to be considered wholly as enemies. 



When plowed under they of course add some humus and fer- 

 tility to the soil, while if allowed to grow after a crop has been 

 harvested they shade the ground thus conserving many forms of 



