50 GRAMINEAE (GRASS FAMILY) 
as to suffer a dockage in the market of one to fifteen pounds to th 
bushel. And it is to be remembered that the soil on which such 
crop grew is also damaged and below grade while the weed is it 
tenant. If a field is newly infested and the plants are not to 
numerous to make the job impracticable, hand-pulling and burnin; 
before the hardening of the seed, is not too great a price to pay fc 
its complete and prompt extermination. But if left until harves 
stubbles should immediately be plowed, very shallow, so as to induc 
germination of seeds in the soil, the growth being either grazed o 
or plowed under for humus. In the spring, plow more deeply an 
put in a hoed crop. Or a crop of sowed corn or rape may be grow 
and used for soiling or pasturage. Or, if such crops as winte 
wheat or rye are to be grown, summer-fallow the land, harrowin 
it well about every week or ten days until time to sow the rye or th 
wheat. Leave cultivated oats out of the rotation of crops until th 
wild plants are entirely destroyed. When Wild Oats show then 
selves in a hay field, no stress of weather nor pressure of other wor 
should be allowed to interfere with the cutting of the crop befor 
the Wild Oats are out of the “dough stage” of the seeds. Th 
plant makes excellent hay when cut green. 
WILD OAT-GRASS 
Danthonia spicata, Beauv. 
Other English names: Poverty-grass, Bonnet-grass, Wire-gras 
Wildeat Grass, Turkey-strip, Old Fog. 
Native. Perennial. Propagates by seeds. 
Time of bloom: June to July. 
Seed-time: July to August. 
Range: Eastern part of the United States and Canada, westwar 
to the Dakotas, southward to uy Gault of Mexico. 
Habitat: Dry, sterile, or rocky soil 
This miserable little grass seems best contented when makin 
some hard, worn-out meadow look shabby and miserable. It 
name of “Poverty Grass”’ fits it well, for its presence seems to b 
a sure indication of poverty of soil. The grass itself is dry an 
tasteless, worth nothing either as hay or as pasture. 
Roots fibrous and clustered, the hard, smooth, wiry stem 
nearly naked, most of the short, slim, curly leaves being gathere 
