PLAN FOR WEED STUDY 179 



home. The value of such a collection lies not so much in 

 the collection itself as what the children gain in its making. 

 When the bottles are all in, have the children group them 

 according to places in which the weeds grow, as garden, 

 field, lawn, vacant lot, and roadside weeds. The seed may 

 also be grouped into annuals, biennials, and perennials. 



At the end of the two weeks have reports made by the 

 children as to the weeds they have found, and what they 

 know about them. If the interest has been kept up, the 

 children will ask all sorts of intelligent questions: Follow 

 this with a discussion of why we consider weeds a nuisance, 

 or why they are detrimental to field and garden crops. 

 The discussion will probably bring out the facts that the 

 weeds shade some of the young plants; that they rob the 

 plants of moisture and sometimes of plant foods; that many 

 of them are coarse, homely plants that we do not wish to 

 have around; that weeds with burs are exceedingly an- 

 noying to animals, etc. Now ask the children to think of 

 all the various means used to get rid of the weeds. Bring 

 this up for discussion another day, and at the same time 

 give the older children some problems to think out. 

 Which are easier to get rid of, annuals or perennials? 

 Why do you find chiefly annuals in the gardens and peren- 

 nials in the lawn and pastures? Why can some weeds 

 stand drought better than others? 



In the spring many interesting experiments may be 

 worked out with weed seeds. Use some of those collected 

 in the fall. Have the children arrange a number of tin 

 cans with drains and fill with good garden soil. Plant a 

 few seeds in each. Keep a record of number planted and 

 date of appearance above the ground. Note rapidity of 



