24 



FARM FRIENDS AND FARM FOES 



and destroy the grass. The winged seeds are scattered 

 everywhere ; consequently it is very desirable to extermi- 

 nate wayside plants. 



Several species of Buttercups abound in lowland meadows 

 and pastures. When green some of the more abundant of 

 these have an acrid taste that leads cattle to pass them by, 

 though this bitterness is so lost in drying that the hay is 

 not especially injured. 



Ferns out of Place 



In the more northern regions of our land various species 

 of ferns often take possession of parts of meadows and 

 pastures. They are likely to start 

 along a hedge, fence, or the borders 

 of the woods, and gradually to ex- 

 tend over a greater area. The 

 Brake Fern, or Bracken, is one of 

 the most abundant of these. It is 

 especially liable to overrun com- 

 paratively dry land in the open 

 sunshine, while most of the other 

 ferns are more likely to overrun 

 moist or shaded parts of a field. 

 The Sensitive Fern, the Cinnamon 

 Fern, and the Flowering or Inter- 

 rupted Fern are often troublesome 

 in undrained spots. All these 

 ferns, however, are symptoms of 

 lack of drainage or neglect of til- 

 lage, and are to be subdued by im- 

 proved agricultural methods. Their destruction when they 

 have full possession of the soil is a difficult matter, requir- 

 ing frequent hoeing and cultivating for several seasons. 



