354 CONTROL OF WEEDS 



Escaped Weeds. — Some plants are grown for human food or 

 for stock feed and are allowed to escape from cultivation. The 

 black mustard (Fig. 249) and the dandelion are familiar examples 

 of this class of weeds. The bulbous buttercup and others with 

 beautiful flowers have escaped from gardens in the Old World 

 and in America. Five-finger (Fig. 250) is perhaps a weed of this 

 character. 



EXERCISES, PROJECTS, AND FIELD STUDIES 



1. Identifying weeds of different kinds is best done in orchards, gardens, 

 etc., where live specimens are seen in their growing conditions. Not only learn 

 names of the different kinds, but also the group as to length of life. Learn 

 their methods of spreading seeds, study root systems, and decide whether they 

 are called "noxious" or not. Also learn to know the weeds of fence rows, such 

 as asters and golden rods. 



2. Weed collections may be made to press, dry, and mount for future 

 reference in each home and at school. Be sure to collect all the weeds shown 

 in the figures of this chapter and many others of your region. 



3. Weed seeds should be collected in envelopes and bottles. Each kind 

 should be labelled. These will aid in identifying Dad weed seeds mixed with 

 garden and farm seeds. 



4. The worst weeds, such as wild onion, quack grass, Johnson grass, and 

 Canada thistle, should be studied carefully. Their methods of spreading under 

 ground and their storage of food, should be learned well. 



5. Special methods of fighting these should be tried in a number of places. 

 Special methods may sometimes include using salt, smothering, frequent tillage, 

 plowing at stated seasons, use of hogs, close grazing by sheep, mowing, burn- 

 ing, oiling, special chemicals. 



6. The fighting of noxious weeds may be assigned as a special feature of 

 certain productive projects in gardens and orchards. 



7. Efforts of Neighbors. — On various neighboring places study the efforts 

 to eradicate weeds by rotations, plowing, cultivation, etc. 



8. Group of Weeds. — Study weeds by groups as (1) the bad grasses, (2) 

 the joint-weed group (Figs. 252 and 253), (3) the pig weed group, (4) the sun- 

 flower group. Relationships will be seen by noticing the similarity of members 

 of the same group. 



QUESTIONS 



1. Mention the three classes of weeds. Give examples of each which you know 



at sight. 



2. What relation has the type to methods of control? 



3. What are some of the notable methods of weed dissemination? 



4. What methods of dissemination of weed seeds have you observed? 



5. What are some of the principles of weed control? 



6. Enumerate the chief kinds of losses from weeds. 



7. Discuss the presence of weeds and grasses in orchards. 



References. — U. S. Farmers' Bulletins: 279, Eradicating Johnson Grass; 

 610, Wild Onion; 660, Weeds. R. I. Exp. Station Bulletin 133, Weeds, their 

 Eradication and Control. 



Manual of Weeds, Georgia, Macmillan Company; Weeds of Farm and 

 Garden, Pammel, Orange Judd Co. 



