THREE TROUBLESOME WEEDS. 1 5 



HABITS. 



It is a perennial, the root stock surviving" the winter. It 

 spreads by means of runners at the base, thus rapidly extending- 

 the patch. It blossoms early, before time to cut grass. If cut 

 early it sends up shoots from the roots which bear autumn 

 flowers. The abundant seeds are provided with hair-like 

 appendages which aid distribution. It monopolizes the soil, 

 killing all grass plants and covering the surface with a dense 

 mass of leaves. Is is not good for hay. Its only redeeming 

 feature is its beauty, which is poor recompense for its other 

 characters. 



This plant combines all the worst features of a weed and will 

 not yield to ordinary or careless treatment. The following' 

 precautions and remedies are suggested. 



PRECAUTIONS. 



Do not grow the plant in flower gardens or carry the flowers 

 home for bouquets. 



Do not buy hay or straw from farms known to be infected 

 with it. 



Do not mix the hay from infected patches with clean hay. It 

 would be better to burn the hay from infected patches cut after 

 the seed is mature, rather than run the risk of scattering the 

 seed by hauling, feeding, or in manure. 



Agitate the necessity of destroying patches of weeds growing" 

 along road-sides, on abandoned or neglected farms, and on 

 waste places in towns. 



Learn to recognize the plant, so as to early detect its presence 

 on the farm and destroy it. 



TREATMENT. 



Cut the infested patches early before haying, if need be, to 

 prevent early seeding, and again in the fall before the second 

 bloom forms seed. This can be relied upon to prevent the 

 formation of new patches by scattering seed, but will not kill 

 the plants or prevent the spread of patches already formed. 

 Nothing short of clean culture in some hoed crop can be relied 

 upon to eradicate it. 



