14 FARM FRIENDS AND FARM FOES 



process of encroachment from the neighboring species will 

 be much the same. In pastures where the native grasses 

 form the chief forage, a frequent cause of weed invasion 

 is found in keeping too many animals in the fields. These 

 feed so closely that the grasses are killed out, and other 

 plants not eaten by the stock take their places. 



On the other hand, many .meadows have problems of 

 their own. This is most likely to result from a mixture of 

 the seeds of some weed with that of the grass, clover, or 

 grain, or it may be through the seeds in the fertilizers from 

 the barn. Sometimes these may be weeds new to the lo- 

 cality, and it is then very important to exterminate them 

 before they scatter seed. 



Troublesome Grasses 



A rnimber of grasses more or less valuable for forage 

 often prove, difficult to eradicate in meadows and pastures 

 where they crowd out more valuable sorts. They are 

 able to displace other plants because they spread by creep- 

 ing underground rootstocks that take complete possession 



of the soil in all directions. One 

 of the worst of these is the 

 notorious Witch-grass, Quack- 

 grass, or Couch-grass. In lo- 

 calities where Johnson-grass has 

 been introduced for forage, this 

 is likely to prove as troublesome. 

 Wire-grass or Flat-stemmed 

 Blue-grass is another species 

 that is likely to take possession 



SPRIG OFJOHNSON-GRASS of Jig^t Saudy SOil. 



All these troublesome grasses are likely to be introduced, 

 either with bamyaard fertilizers or with grass and grain 



