20 



THE INDTANA WEED BOOK. 



first a laborious one, but each year gradually lessens until in time 

 it takes but a few hours, whereas at first it may have taken a 

 week. A perennial with running rootstocks close to the surface can 

 often be in great part eradicated by several shallow plowings and 

 harrowings in summer, thus allowing the sun to reach and dry up 

 the underground parts; or it may be killed by covering deeply 

 with soil in early spring and so smothering out the perennial por- 

 tion, that is, preventing it from forming leaves to store up future 

 nourishment. Another method of dealing with perennial weeds is 

 to crowd them out with clover, rye or some early and rapidly grow- 

 ing crop. Many weeds are killed out more easily in this than any 

 other way. 



General Rules foe Exterminating Weeds and Keeping 

 the Farm Clean. 



1. Sow clean seed. — Examine carefully all seeds purchased, 

 especially those of clover and grasses, to see that they do not have 



weed seeds mixed with them. It is far better 

 at any time to pay a high price for clean seed 

 than a low price for seed that will stock the 

 farm with weeds. If the farmer cannot buy 

 clean seed he should raise it upon a tract of 

 ground especially prepared and kept clean 

 for the purpose. In the list which follows a 

 Fig. 4. Linen tester. brief description of the seeds of each of the 



worst weeds is given. A linen tester, which costs about 40 cents, 

 will enable one to recognize, after a little practice, 80 per cent, of 

 the seeds of Indiana weeds. A pocket 

 Coddington lens of one-half inch focus, 

 costing about $1.50, is still better and 

 will enable one to see the finer points 

 of all seeds. These lenses can be had of 

 the Bausch & Lomb Optical Co., Ro- 

 chester, N. Y. 



2. Rotate the crops. — Too many farmers of Indiana keep on 

 year after year ' ' raising more corn to feed more hogs to buy more 

 land to raise more corn," etc. Not only this, but they raise corn 

 on the same land, especially if it be bottom ground, for 10 or more 

 years in succession. The weeds get used to this sort of tiling and 

 know just what to expect and what to do to survive most success- 

 fully. Surprise them once by changing the program and note the 



Fig. 5. Coddington lens. 



