MIXXESOTA WEEDS, SERIES III 39 



Eradication. — Spud out. pull, or otherwise destroy all thistles be- 

 fore seeds mature. Plow and cultivate fields that are badly infested 

 and follow by a cultivated crop. Hoe by hand if necessary. Sow 

 no seed containing seed of this plant. 



Black-eyed Susan | Rudbeckia hirta L.) 



Other common names. — Brown-eyed Susan, hairy cone-flower, 

 yellow or ox-eye daisy, niggerhead. orange daisy, English bull's eye. 

 and brown daisy. 



Description. — Black-eyed Susan is a biennial, flowering from June 

 to October and seeding from July to November. It generally grows 

 on prairies, meadows, pa- :id in waste places, and is from one 



to three feet high. The flower heads are from two to four inches in 

 diameter, and are solitary on long hairy stems. The center of the 

 flower is dark purplish brown, and the ray flowers are orange-yellow. 

 The plant is propagated by seeds which are often found in commercial 

 samples of timothy, red clover, and alsike clover. 



Eradication. — Black- Susan is not a troublesome weed and 



yields to cultivation. Mowing each year before the seeds ripen will 

 prevent re-eedin?. 



Dandelion | Taraxacum officinale YVev 



Other common names. — Blow-ball, lion's tooth, peasant's clock, 

 doon-head clock, yellow gowan. priest's crown, Irish daisy, monk's 

 head. 



Description. — The dandelion is a perennial weed very commonly 

 found on lawns and in waste places. It flowers from very early spring 

 until freezing time, generally seeding about two weeks after flowering. 

 It is one of the worst weeds found on the lawn. The leaves are spread 

 on the ground in a flat rosette, making them hard to cut with the lawn 

 mower. The young plants are excellent for greens in the spring, and 

 the plant is also used medicinally. It has large yellow heads which 

 open in fair weather and close on dark days. The light brown seeds 

 are easily distributed by the wind, and are often found in lawn-grass 

 mixtures. Kentucky bluegrass. and timothy seed. 



Eradication. — The full occupation of the land with desirable grasses 

 and crops will hold the dandelion in check in meadows and fields. It 

 is most troublesome on lawns, since it seeds freely and the seeds blow 



