FRENCH WEED— PEPPERGRASS— SHEPHERD 1 S PURSE 51 



leading to almost continuous seeding. The plants may even mature 

 their seeds after they have been covered by the plow if the soil is dry. 



If the weeds are found growing in the grain fields in large num- 

 bers early in the season, they may be checked and many of them 

 destroyed by harrowing once or twice with a light, peg tooth harrow, 

 when the grain is three or four inches high. 



Discing the land as soon as the grain crop is removed will hasten 

 the germination of the seeds. Plow later in the fall and disc or 

 replow in the spring. Seeding down to the tame grasses and clovers 

 will bring about complete eradication. 



The following rotation is suggested: (1) Wheat. Seed bed care- 

 fully prepared and timothy and clover sown. If weeds are bad, 

 defer sowing grass seed until grain is harrowed, when three or four 

 inches high. (2) Timothy and clover hay, two crops. (3) Timothy 

 hay or seed. Break in fall. (4) Corn or potatoes. (5) Wheat. 

 (6) Barley or oats. (7) Wheat, and seed down. 



Peppergrass (Lepidium apetalum Willd.) 



Other common name. — Apetalous peppergrass. 



Description. — This plant belongs to the mustard family. It is 

 an annual and winter annual which grows from six inches to two 

 feet high. The plant at first forms a rosette of leaves flat on the 

 ground. Later the flowering stalk is produced. The plant is much 

 branched which gives it a bushy appearance. The flowers are white, 

 very small, and inconspicuous. The seed pods are about one-tenth 

 of an inch wide and somewhat heart-shaped, being notched at the 

 tip. Each pod has two seeds, which are reddish yellow. The seeds 

 are oval and very flat and thin. There is a curved groove on one 

 face of the seed. Peppergrass is not considered a very serious weed, 

 and does damage only by crowding out other plants. 



Peppergrass flowers early in June and in July, and early plants 

 ripen seeds by the end of June. It is propagated only by seeds, 

 but the plant sometimes breaks away and scatters the seeds as it 

 is blown before the wind. The weed thrives in all kinds of soil and 

 is usually found in gardens, meadows, and by the roadside in all 

 parts of the State. The seed is readily distinguished from that of 

 timothy, clover, and grasses by its bright yellow color. 



Eradication.—, Prevent peppergrass from seeding by mowing 

 it while green. Disc or plow, if possible, to destroy the roots. It is 

 troublesome mainly as a roadside and waste-place weed. 



Shepherd's Purse {Bursa bursa-pastoris L.) 

 Other common names. — St. James weed, case weed, mother's 

 heart. 



