112 



WEEDS, AND THE MANAGEMENT OF THEM 



Fig. 138. 



may be necessary to destroy or crowd out the entire plant, root and all. In grass lands, the annuals 

 perish as a matter of course; or, if they do not, it is because the grass is poor. The annual weeds 

 follow tilled crops; among such are the pigweeds, purslane, chess, ragweed. The perennials that follow 



cultivated crops are mostly such as have root- 

 stocks or other underground parts that are car- 

 ried by the tools; as bindweed, quack-grass and 

 nut-grass. The weeds of dooryards are mostly 

 perennial or, at least, biennial, as docks, bur- 

 dock, plantains, self-heal, round-leaved mallow. 

 In the accompanying pictures. Figs. 134 to 148 

 show annuals; Pigs. 149 to 154 biennials; Figs. 

 155 to 171 perennials. 



Whenever any area becomes badly infested 

 with weeds, it is safe to assume that the place should 

 be given a radical change of treatment. Areas long 

 used for garden are likely to become very weedy: 

 seed down the place and make the garden somewhere 

 else for a time. A patch of Canada thistles can be 

 killed by seeding down heavily and mowing for a few 

 years. Meadows badly infested with carrot, daisy or 

 hawkweed (paint-brush or hieracium), or dandelion 

 should be broken up, thor- 

 oughly tilled and put in 

 rotation until it is safe to 

 lay them down to grass 

 again. 



Roadsides and waste 

 places should be kept clean. 

 Most states or localities 

 have laws to compel property owners to mow the roadsides. It is probable 

 that these weedy roadsides are less real menace to farming lands than is 

 popularly supposed; but the laws should be enforced, nevertheless, for the 

 effect of attractive roadsides in elevating public taste is everywhere worth 

 consideration. 



It would not be right to leave the impression that all weedy fields are 

 necessarily poorly managed fields. In humid climates it is usually better that 

 ground be bearing plants than that it be idle. Nature covers all the waste 

 and raw places; and nature knows. If land is to go fallow for any rea- 

 son, it may be very good practice to let the weeds grow, with the pur- 

 pose of plowing them down for humus. The carcass of a weed may make 

 just as good humus as that of a plant in good standing. Weeds in 



orchards may make good cover- 

 crops; although this does not mean 

 that other plants may not make 

 better ones. 



The kinds of plants that are known as weeds are legion, but 

 the really important or belligerent kinds in any community will 

 usually not exceed two dozen. They are mostly homely plants, but 

 this does not in the least interfere with their efiiciency as weeds. A 

 description of the kinds of weeds would scarcely be worth the while 

 in this Cyclopedia, where every inch of space is needed for the most 

 significant matters. The pictures will identify a few of the old 

 friends. 



Of course, everybody deplores weeds. They always have. They 

 probably will continue to deplore them even after this Cyclopedia 

 is printed. But it would be an interesting question if some one were 



Napa thistle or tocalote {Oentaurea Melitensis). 

 Naturalized in California. 



Fig. 139. Seed top of tlie 

 Shepherd's Purse (Oaj)- 

 sella Bursa-pastoris) . 



Fig. 140. Purslane or pusley 

 {Fortulaca oleracea). 



Fig. 141. Spray of knotweed 

 {Polygonum aviculare). 



Fig. 142. 



Chick weed, a winter annual, 

 (Stellaria media). 



