50 SOILS AND PLANT LIFE 



up along our railroads. The seeds have dropped out of 

 leaky grain cars, or have been pushed out with the bedding 

 from stock cars. 



Certain seeds, particularly those with hooks and spines, 

 become imbedded in the wool of sheep. When the wool 

 is shipped, the seeds go along and often germinate in the 

 waste piles at the mills. Hay, also, may act as a carrier 

 of seeds, either good or bad. 



Stock is shipped from all parts of the country to our 

 large markets. More and more, the litter and manure 

 from the stockyards are being shipped to the country to be 

 scattered on the fields. Weed and other seeds often be- 

 come scattered in this way. 



The roots of trees and shrubs must be packed in some 

 moist substance when they are shipped from place to 

 place. Chaff, straw, hay and moss are used. China, 

 glassware and crockery are usually packed in the same 

 materials to prevent breakage. In this packing are 

 often found small quantities of seed. 



More weed seeds and seeds of foreign plants find their 

 way to our farms in commercial seeds than in any other 

 way. It is therefore of the greatest importance that we 

 examine any seed intended for planting lest such seeds' 

 be mixed with seeds of weeds and other plants that we 

 do not want. 



38. Making a Seed Collection. — We are at once 

 confronted with the difficulty of knowing the different 

 weed seeds. 



Prepare a collection of the seeds of our common weeds, 

 which mature in the late summer and fall. 



A small bottle, or vial, may be used to hold each sample, 

 and a case of heavy pasteboard or wood made to hold the 

 entire collection. Each bottle should be numbered; and 



