WEEDS IN GENERAL 11 



age, when the grain is sold, is almost always the result of a large per- 

 centage of weed seeds found mixed with the crop seed. A heavy loss 

 in selling the seed is often sustained from this source. 



In hay crops weeds are detrimental because they prevent proper 

 curing. Their presence in hay and feed grains is particularly harm- 

 ful because the seeds may pass through the animals to which they are 

 fed and may be spread on the land when it is manured. Farmers 

 can not be too careful about the kind of hay and grain they use. Hay 

 and feed grains are among the most frequent vehicles in the spread of 

 weeds on farms. New weeds are introduced into localities and old 

 weeds are spread. 



When weeds appear in such crops as oats, wheat, barley, and 

 flax the strain on the machinery in harvesting these weeds and the 

 extra cost of twine are no small items of loss. They often attract 

 insects, and may furnish a wintering place for such insects as chinch 

 bugs and grasshoppers. Such fungous diseases as wheat rust live 

 over winter on wild grasses as quack grass and wild barley. 



Some weeds are poisonous, as corn cockle, water hemlock, poison 

 ivy, poison sumac, and black night-shade. The corn cockle seed, 

 when fed to chickens and stock in any quantity, may cause death. 

 When ground in wheat it lowers the grade of flour. Bread made 

 from such flour has been known to prove fatal. 



Some weeds, like wild barley, which have long awns, often cause 

 painful injuries in the throats and mouths of cattle and horses. Other 

 weeds which have burlike fruits and seeds often cause a great loss in 

 places where sheep are raised. These burs get into the wool, thus 

 causing more expense in preparing it. 



HOW WEEDS ARE SCATTERED 



One way that weeds get on the farm is by the sowing of impure 

 seed; that is, by sowing seed that has mixed with it the seeds of many 

 of the noxious weeds. This is nearly always due to the ignorance 

 of the person sowing such seed. Good, clean seed should always be 

 sown. The most proficient farmer will sow the very best seed obtain- 

 able. If there is any question about its purity, a test should be made 

 so as to ascertain what weed seeds are present. 



Many weeds get on the farm by the scattering of manure on the 

 land. It has been found that many weed seeds pass through the 

 digestive organs of stock without injuring their germination power. 

 Weeds can thus be brought onto the farm through hay which is brought 

 from other places. 



Weeds are scattered by natural agencies, such as wind, water, 

 and snow. Many seeds have an umbrella-like attachment which 



