MINNESOTA WEEDS, SERIES III 37 



Eradication. — Good plowing and clean tillage will hold gumweed 

 in check in tillable land. Sow only pure grass seed and well-cleaned 

 grain. Pull or dig out all plants found growing in the fields or by the 

 roadside before they go to seed. 



Beggar-Tick (Bidens frondosa L.) 



Other common names. — Sticktight, small bur-marigold, devils boot- 

 jack, pitchfork weed, and beggar-lice. 



Description. — Beggar-tick is an annual plant, flowering from July 

 to September and seeding from August to October. It grows most 

 commonly in moist soil, in gardens, fields, along roadsides, and in 

 waste places. The plant grows from two to five feet high. It is prop- 

 agated by seed only. The yellow flower heads are about half an inch 

 in diameter and are not very conspicuous. The wedge-shaped brown 

 seeds are much flattened and generally have two awns. These awns 

 are barbed and by clinging to the fur of animals and the clothing of 

 men aid greatly in distributing the seed. They are seldom found in 

 commercial seed. 



Eradication. — Beggar-tick may be eradicated by preventing all 

 plants from going to seed. Planting cultivated crops, with hand hoeing 

 and pulling stray plants wherever found will keep it in check. Sow 

 no grain or grass seed containing seeds of beggar-tick. 



Roadside Thistle (Cirsium discolor (Muhl.) Spreng.) 



Other common names. — Field thistle and plumed thistle. 



Description. — The roadside thistle is one of the perennial thistles, 

 altho it is sometimes a biennial. It is not considered so bad a weed as 

 some of the other thistles. It flowers from July to November, and 

 seeds late in the fall. It is generally found in fields, along roadsides, 

 and in meadows and pastures. The leaves are deeply cut and are 

 covered with spines and hairs. This thistle is not so prickly as most 

 of the thistles. It grows from two to seven feet high and spreads 

 by means of seeds, which are easily carried by the wind. The purplish 

 flower-heads are from one and a half to two inches in diameter, and 

 are generally solitary at the end of the branches. The seeds of road- 

 side thistle are sometimes found in commercial samples of timothy, 

 red clover, and alfalfa. 



