AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 105 



BOTANY. 



k 



Fall Dandelion. 



Leontodon Autumnale, L. 



(Ord. Corapositse.) 



The above species continues to be reported as troublesome in 

 grass lands. It has a firm hold in the State, and should be known 

 by farmers so they can check it before a whole field is overrun. 

 When there are only a few plants, the extermination is a simple 

 matter, but if neglected serious trouble will follow. Much of the 

 clover seed offered for sale in this State contains the seed of this 

 weed. 



The following reply to Mr. Henry Norcross may interest others. 



Mr. Henry Norcross of this city, brought a specimen plant to 

 this oflfice for identification. He says his fields are infested with 

 it, and that it is killing out the grass far and near. We forwarded 

 the sample to Prof. Harvey, Botanist at the Experiment Station, 

 who kindly forwarded the following to the Farmer: 



The plant you enclose for determination belongs to the sunflower 

 family {Composiice) and is called by botanists, Leontodon 

 autumnale^ Linn. Its common name is Fall Dandelion. The Latin 

 name means the Liontooth that blooms in the a^itumn. The leaves 

 are incised, suggesting the name of liontooth. The plant is a 

 native of Europe, but is thoroughly naturalized in the United 

 States, and quite widely spread. It is especially plentiful in New 

 England, and a bad weed. Being an abundant seeder and a 

 perennial, it is hard to exterminate. It grows under the most 

 unfavoi'able circumstances, and will replace grasses in meadows. 

 Should it become too abundant, there is no way to destroy 

 it excepting cultivation in some hoed crop until it disappears. 

 The plants about roadsides, edges of fields and lawns, should be 

 pulled by the roots, or kept from seeding by careful mowing. 

 In this region it is abundant along the roadsides, and is increas- 

 ing. Occasionally a field is noticed nearly overrun with it. 

 Roadsides are prolific seed gardens that supply the public gratis 

 with an abundance of seeds of the vilest weeds. The town 

 authorities should be empowered by law to exterminate patches of 

 weeds that appear, and might become the centres of distribution 

 of troublesome pests. This weed will be found figured and 

 described in Experiment Station Report, 1890, p. 120. 



F. L. Harvey, 



Botanist for the Station. 

 Orono. 



