MINNESOTA WEEDS, SERIES III 15 



Eradication. — Cut or pull goosefoot before the seeds form. Keep 

 the laud fully occupied with more useful plants. It is not troublesome 

 in well-cultivated field-. 



Ball Mustard 1 Neslia paniculata 1 L) Desv. I 



Other common names. — Yellow weed, neslia. 



Description. — Ball mustard is generally an annual, altho it some- 

 times lives fur two years. It flowers from June to September, and 

 seeds from July to October. It grows from one to two feet tall and is 

 generally found in grain fields and waste places. Only recently has 

 it been found commonly distributed in this state. The flowers, about 

 one eighth of an inch in diameter, are yellow and the leaves are lance- 

 shaped, somewhat narrowed at the base. The stem leaves are arrow- 

 shaped and clasping. There is generally but one seed in a pod. The 

 seed pods, which cling very closely to the seed, are greenish brown in 

 color and the surface is roughened by a network of veins. Ball mus- 

 tard propagates only by seeds. The seeds are found most commonly 

 in cereals, altho sometimes in clover and alfalfa seed. 



Eradication. — Clean all seed grain thoroly. Disk the stubble in 

 fields badly infested by ball mustard as soon as the crops are removed, 

 to cover seeds and induce germination. Disk again later in the fall 

 and plow. Sow to an early crop such as barley or sixty-day oats. If 

 the mustard still appear.- in large quantities, cut before seeds form 

 and cure with the barley or oats for hay. If only scattering plants 

 appear, pull by hand, carry from field, and burn. As with other an- 

 nuals, prevention from seeding will eventually bring eradication. A 

 well-planned crop rotation which provides for one or two years in 

 grass will help keep ball mustard in control. 



Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea (L) Cosson) 



Description. — Indian mustard is an annual or biennial plant and 

 is propagated only by seed. It flowers from May to July and seeds 

 from June to August, growing quite commonly in grain fields and 

 along roadsides. It is very similar to the common mustard, which is 

 widely distributed throughout this state. The pods of the Indian 

 mustard are arranged more symmetrically than those of the common 

 mustard. The plant grows from one to four feet tall and has rather 

 stout but few branches. The bright yellow flowers are about half an 



