37 
Plantago lanceolata. Rib grass; Plantain; Ripple grass; Plantain herb; Rib herb. 
A weed extensively naturalized in this country in lawns and meadows, and truly 
pasture mixtures. It possesses the advantage of growing on the most sterile 
i Jattle and sheep are fond of it when young. There are a number of 
American species, widely distributed in all parts of the country, many of which 
add value to the scanty spring forage in barren pastures. Some species of the 
prairie region grow on salt marshes and alkali spots, and would perhaps be of 
value for cultivation on such soils 
Polygonum aviculare. Knotweed; Duckweed; Dooryard grass. (Fig. 37.) 
À weedy annual of the knotweed or smartweed family, common every where in door- 
yards, waste places, and fields. The stems are slender, prostrate or ascending, 
branching, 6 to 14 inches high, and leafy; the leaves oblong to lanceolate, from 
one-fourth of an inch to an inch long, pointed at each end, and bluish green. 
It is very hardy, growing readily on the poorest of ordinary soils, even in times 
of drought, and is greedily eaten by all kinds of stock. Stockmen in the North- 
west esteem it highly, as it furnishes a palatable and nutritious forage, which 
continues green all summer under all kinds of hard treatment. The dry forage 
contains nearly 19 per cent of erude protein. so that its value as a flesh former 
is high, ranking above that of the clovers 
Polygonum erectum. Upright knotweed 
A hardy annual knotweed, widely distributed through the Northern States. In the 
upper prairie region it is highly valued as a forage plant for mileh cows. It 
grows from 10 to 15 inches high, and in rich, moist soils may be cut for hay. 
The hay is nutritious, containing 11 per cent of crude protein. 
Polygonum muhlenbergii. Knotweed; Smartweed. 
This species has been very highly spoken of as a summer forage plant for wet mead- 
ows and marshy places. It is abundant throughout the United States, and is 
one of the species wiih me not become a weve if brought under cultivation. 
Cattle are very fond of it. pecies which, in the locali- 
ties where they grow, add materially to the value of pasturage. 
Polygonum sachalinense. Giant knotweed; Sachaline; Sacaline; Saghalin Poly- 
gonum. 
Giant knotweed or sachaline is a hardy herbaceous 5 6 to 12 feet high, with 
ee creeping rootstocks, broad, somewhat heart-shaped, weise leaves nearly 
a foot long, and small pee flowers appearing late in the season. It 
has been cultivated for a good ma orname mede Recently attempts 
have been made to introduce it into this country as a forage plant, and extrava- 
gant elaims have been made concerning it. Considering that it is a native of 
northern Asia, growing m moist river banks upon an island with a cold and 
very moist climate, and from the recommendations as to its culture by horticul- 
turists who have had vereinen in growing the plant, it is very doubtful if it 
ill prove a success except in swampy waste lands. The leaves are eaten by 
ap but the small quantity ot forage produced and the time which one must 
it until production commences, preclude its ever being of great value in this 
EE 
Portulaca oleracea. Pusley; Purslane. 
This well-known weed is of considerable value as an autumn forage plant in the 
South and Southwest. The fleshy leaves and stems are put forth in 
SS during the hottest and driest weather, and it is hard to kill. The 
me qualities which make it a vile hm our ne and cultivated fields 
