WEEDS. 159. 
III. Forage Plants. 
None of the native or naturalized forage plants take rank with 
red clover, timothy and blue grass, which are cultivated for this 
special purpose. Nevertheless there are among them many 
species which contribute liberally to the forage supply of the 
county. Indeed during dry seasons all species which are not 
protected by harsh structures, such as spines, etc., or by poison- 
ous, or at least disagreeable, products with repelling taste and 
odor, are eaten more or less by cattle. Formerly the native 
herbs, especially grasses, which covered the prairies, formed 
valuable pasture and hay, but so little of the original prairie 
remains that most of these species have disappeared, or are 
found only sparingly. With the exception of the clovers the 
best forage plants are grasses. The most valuable species of 
prairie and meadow were Cinna, Calamagrostis and the two 
species of Andropogon. Of less value are Bromus ciliatus and 
kalmii, and Agropyron tenerum and occidentale, while coarser, 
harsher grasses like Muhlenbergia mexicana and glomerata, 
Spartina and Leersia have little beyond bulk to recommend 
them. Among introduced plants, in addition to the ubiquitous 
blue grass and timothy, Agrostis alba, Dactylis and Setaria 
glauca have some fodder value, the last chiefly in stubble fields. 
IV. Weeds. 
All plants which have sufficient persistence and adaptability 
to become weeds are of public interest. Among the plants of 
Winneshiek county there are not only many introduced weeds, 
.but some of the native plants have so far changed their habits 
that they, too, have become pernicious weeds. Among the most 
vicious of the former, both because of abundance and persist- 
ence, are the following: black bind-weed (Polygonum convol- 
vulus), curly dock (Rumezx crispus), the species of Amaranthus, 
plantain(Plantago major), both species of Brassica, shepherd’s 
purse (Bursa), both sweet clovers (Melilotus), round-leaved 
mallow (Malva rotundifolia), wild parsnip (Pastinaca), ground . 
ivy (Glecoma), chickweed (Alsine media), purslane (Portu- 
laca), the thornapples (Datura), dandelion (Taraxacum), 
prickly lettuce (Lactuca scariola), dog-fennel (Anthemis), 
burdock (Arctium), field-thistle (Carduus lanceolatus), Canada 
thistle (C. arvensis) and the panic grasses (Panicum crus-galli 
