DARNEL— PENNSYLVANIA SMARTWEED 15 



are about an eighth of an inch in length, flat on one side, and round 

 on the other. The surface is highly polished in appearance. The 

 seeds are very frequently found mixed with grasses and clovers and 

 especially with the different millets. Barnyard grass is propagated 

 entirely by seeds. 



Eradication. — Do not sow grain or grass seed containing the 

 seed of barnyard grass. Where seed is in the ground, cut weeds that 

 appear frequently enough to prevent seeds from maturing. Plowing 

 the land and giving thorough cultivation for a season should destroy 

 all seeds and prevent reappearance until seeds are again sown or 

 allowed to mature. 



Darnel (Lolium temu'lentum L.) 



Other common names. — Ivray, juray, cheat, chess, poison darnel, 

 bearded darnel, tare, neale poison rye grass, and white darnel. 



Description. — Darnel is an annual grass introduced from Europe. 

 It is found most frequently in waste places and in grain fields but 

 is not very common in this State. It seems to be most common in 

 the Red River Valley. It often appears in wheat fields and its large 

 seeds, which are about the same size as wheat kernels, are hard to 

 separate from seed wheat. The plant begins flowering in July and 

 seeds mature late in August. The inconspicuous flowers are arranged 

 alternately on a more or less broken spike. The plant varies from 

 two to four feet in height and is very erect. The seeds are about 

 one fourth of an inch long and about one eighth of an inch wide. 

 The seed is ordinarily covered with a hard husk and when this is 

 removed the actual seed is greenish in color, often tinged with 

 purple. The husks are almost always on the seed. 



Eradication. — Avoid sowing the seed. Destroy those in the 

 ground by first encouraging germination, and then giving thorough 

 cultivation. Darnel seed can be removed from grain by grading 

 carefully in a strong wind blast. 



Pennsylvania Smartweed {Polygonum pennsylvanicum L.) 



Other common name. — Pennsylvania persicaria. 



Description. — Pennsylvania smartweed is an annual plant, which 

 grows from one to three feet tall. It is erect during the first part of 

 its growth but becomes more or less spreading by the time the seeds 

 are mature. This plant grows particularly well in moist soil and is 

 found more commonly in wet years than in dry years. Pennsylvania 

 smartweed is very common along lakes and creeks. It is found in 



