1878.| 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
103 
Fig. 1.— RED CLOVER. 
seed.” In writing of the uses of the microscope, as 
above referred to, and feeling the importance of the 
matter, we were at considerable trouble, in hunting 
along roadsides and fence rows, to find some of the 
troublesome clover weeds, and get a few seeds to 
make an engraving from. After this had all been 
done, we were 
tmA jfUl^ -jjssbx quite surprised on 
fg§gk. receiving the 
ssSmlljW Journal of the 
^^pS(Eng.) Royal Agri- 
cultural Society,” 
^. 0 ^ nc j ^at (.jj e 
Botanist of the 
Society, Mr. Car- 
ruthers, had been 
at work on the very same matter, and in an ar¬ 
ticle on “Clover Seed and its Impurities,” had 
given engravings of the weed-seeds that are likely 
to be sown with clover seed in England, showing, 
magnified, 24 different kinks. It is a curious fact, 
that some of the most frequent weeds in European 
fields, do not be¬ 
come established 
here at all, while 
others, not especi¬ 
ally troublesome 
there, find here 
conditions better 
suited to them, 
and are among 
the greatest annoyances of our farmers. Out of 
the two dozen weeds, the seeds of which are figured 
in the article referred to, we find hardly a dozen 
that our farmers find injurious. We gladly avail 
ourselves of Mr. Carruthers’ engravings of these 
weed-seeds that our farmers should know and 
wm m 
Fig. 2.—WHITE CLOVER. 
ft 
Fig. 3.— BLACK MEDICK, OR NONSUCH. 
avoid, as it allows us to present the matter in time 
for the present spring sowing. The very general 
distribution of the American Agriculturist Micro¬ 
scope, will allow of the careful examination of 
seeds before sowing. This is one of those matters 
that need no argument; if the farmer does not feel 
its importance, and will not make a careful exami¬ 
nation of his seed, if not before purchasing, at 
least before sowing, when the facts in the case 
are pointed out to him, no amount of talk will con¬ 
vince him that he should do so. We would not 
have, in a clover field, a single plant of Viper’s 
Bugloss (fig. 9), for the price of many yearly volumes 
of the American Agriculturist, and its Microscope. 
Yet it yearly extending itself in several States. 
To Examine tile Seeds. 
The quickest way will be, to fake a sheet of 
white paper, and spread out a small quantity of the 
seed—say a teaspoonful or so. Then remove the 
glasses from the Microscope, and using the upper 
two glasses only, let the lowest glass, and the 
diaphragm serve as a handle. With the upper two 
glasses, go carefully over the whole surface of 
the paper covered by the seeds. First quite 
familiarize the eye with the appearance of the 
clover-seed itself. The seeds of all the clovers 
have a general resemblance, looking, when magni- 
( i 
9 * -a*. 
proportion as these. While it would be a great 
misfortune for a farmer to stock his fields with 
some of the weeds, the seeds of which are here 
given, other weeds are of less importance, their 
chief harm being in occupying the 
ground and preventing the clover 
from growing. If one buys and sows 
clover, he does not wish—for ex- 
® ample—a crop of Spurry, a useful 
Fig. 6 . enough plant in its way. The 
engravings are sufficiently accurate to allow the 
seeds to be recognized at sight. Usually the 
I! 9 
Q 
Fig. 9.— viper’s bugloss. 
f 
Fig.10. SELF-HEAL. 
Fig. 4.— CHICKWEED. Fig. 5.— SPURRY. 
fled, like distorted beans, as seen in the two kinds 
most generally sown by our farmers ; figure 1 being 
the Red Clover (: Trifolium pr>-atense), and figure 2 the 
White, or Dutch, Clover ( Trifolium repens). The 
weed-seeds shown are magnified in the same 
Fig. 7.—OX-EYE DAI3Y. Fig. 8.—PLANTAIN. 
natural size of the seeds is shown (by dots, if small) 
by the side of the magnified figures. Figure 3 is 
Black Medick, or Nonsuch, ( Aledicago Lupuliaa) ; 
the larger cut is the one-seeded pod, and the others 
the separate seeds. Not a bad weed, but occupies 
the ground to the exclusion of clover. Figure 4 is 
Chick weed, (Stellaria media), often abundant in 
moist grounds ; 
not bad. Figure 
5, Spurry, ( Sper- 
gida arvensis), a 
quick growing 
annual, which 
will crowd out 
the young clover. 
Figure 6, White 
Bed-straw ( Galium rnoUugo), a sprawling plant 3 feet 
long, now becoming at home here. Our “ White- 
weed,” or Ox-Eye Daisy, is shown in figure 7. Too 
well known in the older States ; careless farmers say 
it does no harm. It simply prevents the growth of 
nutritious plants — and that is harm enough. Figure 
8 is the Rib-Grass, not a grass, but the Rib-wort 
Plantain ( Plantago lanceolata). Is abundant, and in 
England regarded as a good 
sheep pasture plant. But the 
clover-field is no place for it. mmag j 
Figure 9, Viper’s Bugloss, 
Blue-Weed and Blue Devils, 
(Echium vulgare ), already too 
well known iu some of the 
older States—and should be stopped. Its seed, the 
largest of all these weed seeds, is readily recognized, 
and one of the very worst of all known weeds. 
When it takes possession, it comes to stay, and the 
farmer may step aside. Figure 10 is Self-heal, 
( Brunella vulgaris), of no special importance ex¬ 
cept as showing slovenly culture. Figure 11 is the 
seed of our well known Sheep Sorrel, ( Burner Accto- 
sella), a sour weed on poor lands. Fig. 12, Common 
Goose-foot, or Lamb’ s-quarters, ( Chenopodium al¬ 
bum), altogether too well known, and wherever seen 
is occupying soil that should be growing something 
useful. But where is that worst of all weeds, the 
Canada Thistle? some will ask. The 
seeds of this are not mentioned as oc- 
III SSI ^ curring in English clover seed, in the 
''lilP' 6 article referred to, and we have not seen 
Fig. 11. it in any American samples that we have 
examined. Still, farmers should be on 
the look-out for it. In the descriptive sheet that 
goes with the Microscope is an engraving (fig. 10 
of that sheet), showing clover and weed seeds, the 
long and narrow seed in 
that group is from an un¬ 
ripe specimen of Canada 
Thistle. That engraving 
also shows the seeds of 
the “Toad-Flax” ( Lina - Fig. 12.— goose-foot. 
ria vulgaris), which is not 
included in the list of English weeds, but which is 
one of our most troublesome, and is spreading with 
unpleasant rapidity. Sow clean seed, and Canada 
Thistle and other pests will not trouble. In the 
Boys and Girls’ Department there is something 
about preseiving specimens of seeds, that some 
of the parents of the children may find of use. 
T1HE EOUSEMOILID). 
For other Household Items see “ Basket ” pages. 
Home Topics. 
BY FAITH ROCHESTER. , 
New Neighbors. 
I was very much pleased with the first call after 
I was settled in the last new home. It was even¬ 
ing, and Paterfamilias had just come from his day’s 
work. The tea-tray, with his supper of baked 
apples, and bread and butter, had been brought in¬ 
to the sitting-room, and his cocoa was keeping 
warm in a little pail on the sitting-room stove. The 
little ones and their mamma find it more whole¬ 
some to have their light bread and milk supper 
earlier in the day. I would not have liked to re¬ 
ceive a fashionable call just then, or a regular call 
of ceremony from strangers. But when answering 
the knock, we found a gentleman and lady who 
lived near us, but whom we had never before met, 
dressed in their every-day clothes—the lady with a 
light shawl over her head, and her knitting in her 
hand—I was unaffectedly glad to see them, though 
an unfinished mattress was spread upon the floor. 
We all 6 at down at ease, and Paterfamilias ate his 
“little frugal,” and we proceeded to get acquainted 
in very happy our-folksy fashion. I felt that they 
had accepted us at once as neighbors, and that they 
had no particular anxiety about the proper time, or 
form of their call. This is the right way to treat 
new neighbors, I thought, and I was sure I should 
“run in” often to see the new neighbor, follow¬ 
ing her example and taking my work with me. 
Getting Away from Home. 
Just twice in three months have I entered the 
next house to see the good neighbor I like so much. 
Just twice in the same time have I crossed the 
street to sit down in the house of another friendly 
neighbor, whose children play with mine almost 
daily. And that is the best I have done anywhere 
in the way of neighborly sociability in the mean¬ 
time.—I don’t like it. I did not mean to do so. I 
never supposed I should come to this. One might 
almost as well be living back in the woods out of 
sight and hearing of neighbors. Whenever I do 
get out from home I hear other people apologizing 
and explaining why they have not been to this or 
that place. Mothers and housekeepers find their 
time fully occupied, and a habit of keeping close 
at home is easily formed. It is unsocial. It is un¬ 
wholesome for the woman who keeps so close at 
home, and for her family. Contact with the world 
does us good. To brighten our wits and warm 
our hearts, is the effect of good, honest sociability. 
We get tired of the daily routine of household 
labor. Sometimes it becomes a weary treadmill, 
where we are driven almost beyond our ability to 
keep up with the demand. How good, then, is a 
little rest, a little change of scene. “ All work and 
no play makes Jack a dull boy.” This morning I 
heard a little girl say, “I shall stay in at recess to¬ 
day and study my arithmetic, for to-morrow is ex¬ 
amination.”—“No,” I said. “Study your best in 
school hours, but run out at recess and have a good 
play spell, and you can study enough better after 
such 3 , breathing spell, to more than make up for 
the extra study at recess.”—I find the truth of this 
when I take a little “outing” myself. I love my 
family better, and I like my work better after hav¬ 
ing left them for a little while. 
But I am not at all satisfied with the conditions 
of domestic life, which make it so extremely diffi¬ 
cult for neighbors to be neighborly. If I did not 
believe in the possibility as well as the desirability 
of other conditions, I would say nothing about it. 
Personal complaints about hard times are foolish 
while the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in 
pain, and no one is exempt. But the grand principle 
of compensation runs through all, so that human 
conditions are more equal, thoroughly consider¬ 
ed, than it seems to the mere surface observer. 
Sosurwlteve to Go. 
Last summer, in a small country village, I was 
talking with a young farmer about the Sunday 
