Description of Foxtail. 191 



never warm enough to secure the germina- 

 tion of the seeds. The soil there is so suit- 

 able to the weed that it grows w^ith great 

 vigor, even to a height of six feet. 



(3) FOXTAIL. 



Foxtail {Setaria glaiica) is better known 

 in the Northwestern states as summer grass 

 or pigeon grass. It grows to a greater or 

 less extent in nearly every section of the 

 continent where the land has been tilled, 

 even if only for a few years. It gives great 

 trouble in prairie countries where one kind 

 of cereal is frequently grown for many 

 years in succession on the same lands. It 

 is also troublesome in all crops in the corn 

 belt, particularly in Iowa and the adjoining 

 states. Green foxtail {Setaria viridis) is 

 a closely related species which is more 

 common in the East* Practically the sam.e 

 description applies to it, and the same 

 methods of treatment are applicable. Fox- 

 tail usually grows to the height of about 

 one foot when matured, although the 

 height varies much with the richness of .the 

 soil. It is capable of maturing seeds even 

 when but a few inches high. The leaves 

 bear a very close resemblance to those of 



