170 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [7:7— Oct., 1911 



' ' ><■>.■'■ . ' 

 forked awns. Seeds, lacking these special devices, are carried 



about by birds, animals, wagons and trains. That the last two 

 are important means of seed transportation is shown by the 

 varieties, found by roadsides and railroads, not found in the 

 neighboring fields. 



By this time the pupils realized why weeds were so fre- 

 quently spoken of as "persistent pests." They realized the full 

 meaning of Bailey's words : "The new farmer complains of 

 them. The poor farmer is possessed with them. The home gar- 

 dener pleads for relief from them. Even the best farmers find 

 them troublesome and sometimes unconquerable." They were 

 ready to consider some way of checking their further distribu- 

 tion. To this end a seed analysis was made. The pupils ob- 

 tained some red clover seed. Each boy weighed out one ounce 

 of seed. With the help of a lens and pencil he separated the 

 seed into four parts: (1) Pure seed, (2) por seed, including 

 broken and shriveled seed, (3) dirt, (4) weed seed. The five 

 samples analyzed showed the following results : 

 Sample. Pure Seed. Poor Seed. Dirt. Weed Seed. 



No. 1. 93% 5% 0% 2% 



No. 2. 95% 4% 0% 1% 



No. 3. 88% 11% 0% 1% 



No. 4. 84% 11% 0% 5% 



No. 5. 94% 5% 0% 1% 



Average 90% 7J% 0% 2% 



The weed seeds were then identified by means of the seeds 

 which had been saved. The seeds of the moth mullen, catnip, 

 narrow plantain and Pennsylvania smartweed were found to be 

 most common. Upon consulting authorities, telling of the purity 

 of grass seeds, the students concluded that their samples were 

 comparatively free from weed seeds. For example, the Mich- 

 igan Seed Manual told of a sample of something called clover 

 seed, which contained forty per cent of narrow plantain. 



Thus the pupils in finishing the work had very clearly in 

 mind: (1) that weeds differ from other plants in that they are 

 not wanted; (2) the reproductive potentiality of some weeds 

 is so great that they become real pests; (3) not only weeds 

 having particular devices, but others are easily carried from place 

 to place; (4) if the farmer is to check their further distribution 

 he must not sow them. 



The writer feels that this work might very profitably be 

 followed, in the Spring, by a brief study of the different classes 

 of weeds — annuals, biennials, and perennials — and the special 

 methods of exterminating each. 



