l6o NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM; 



Hieracium aurantiacum L. 



The orange hawkweed, sometimes called paint brush and red daisy, is 

 still spreading rapidly in some parts of om* state. In North Elba it was 

 seen in July to be much more abundant than it was in 1898. It had 

 formed large patches in meadows and pastures previously occupied 

 sparingly and it had spread to many new locahties. It is not confined 

 to meadows and pastures, but springs up by roadsides and in thin woods 

 and recent clearings. Some effectual and practical means of destroying 

 it would be a great blessing. Salt applied dry in dry, hot, sunny weather, 

 at the rate of i^ to 2 tons an acre, is effectual, but the cost of the rem- 

 edy is an objection to it in the minds of some. Frank Whalen, an 

 esteemed correspondent, has experimented to some extent with sulfuric 

 acid in his attempts to destroy this weed, and has kindly given 

 me permission to record the results of his experiments. The 

 strongest solution used was i gallon of acid to 24 of water, the weakest, 

 I to 40. Both were kept in wooden vessels and. sprinkled on the weeds 

 from a well painted sprinkling pot. These quickly showed the effects, 

 even within 10 minutes after the application. The strongest solution 

 killed the weeds and nearly everything else with which it came in con- 

 tact. The weakest solution killed not only the orange hawkweed, but 

 also daisies, buttercups, thistles and clover, so far as the parts above 

 ground were concerned. A week after the application they appeared to 

 be perfectly dead, but the roots retained enough vitality to throw up new 

 shoots and perpetuate the pests, Timothy grass seemed to withstand 

 the effects better than the weeds and other grasses. His conclusion 

 from these experiments is that the strong solution would be likely to be a 

 cheap and effectual way of destroying small patches of the orange hawk- 

 weed, even if a second application should be necessary. Even the 

 weakest solution would be useful in preventing the plants from maturing 

 seed, everr if not applied till they began to blossom, the effects are so 

 quickly apparent. The strong solution is also useful in killing such 

 coarse weeds as burdock and yellow dock. It may also be available 

 in keeping weeds out of walks and paths in parks and gardens. 



Oxycoccus oxycoccus (Z ) MacM, 

 A small form of this cranberry grows among mosses on the open sum- 

 mit of Mt Mclntyre. Its branches are generally less than 2 inches long, 

 and its leaves are about 2 hues long and 1-1.5 broad. Its flow^ers are 

 bright red. It forms close patches, and its numerous bright blossoms 

 give a cheerful appearance to the lonely places where they grow. 



