CORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER 
AU§, 3 
A FEW WEEDS. 
Although weeds are so prolific a source of t 
labor and expense to the cultivator of the j, 
soil, yet it is really surprising how small a v 
number of our wild plants furnish the “ per- j 
nicious weeds” of our fields. Probably not 
more than one species out of ten can be ] 
reckoned in the farmers’ “ Rogues Gallery ” ( 
and of this one-tenth, half are of but small t 
account, so that if wo could destroy twenty i 
or thirty species our worst foes would be t 
conquered. £ 
Believing that the more we know of such ( 
foes the more intelligently and successfully t 
we shall combat them, I have been led to , 
study the habits and relationships of these ' 
plants, and will briefly mention a few that i 
were t he first, intruders in a potato-field that 
I was recently cultivating. I will take them i 
in the order of their abundance, and feel , 
quite sure that, when we see a potato-field 
overrun with weeds so as to hide the vines 
and make it necessary to mow the field be¬ 
fore digging the crop, these are the uninvited 
guests that form the bulk of the mass. 
First worst, and the most universally dis¬ 
seminated of the plants “cultivated without 
or against, man’s will, is the Bitter-weed; or, 
as it is also termed, Roman Wormwood and 
Hog weed. This genus of coarse weeds bears 
the seemingly inappropriat e name of Ambro¬ 
sia, which must appear to be sarcastically 
applied, to those who have tasted the sort of 
“nectar ambrosial” that this plant makes 
when eaten by cattle and converted into 
milk. It often covers stubble fields so thick¬ 
ly as to exclude other weeds, and mani 
festly to the detriment of the seedling 
grasses beneath it. In every garden and 
cultivated field it is the predominant weed, 
and so much greater is its constitutional 
vitality t.lian that of cultivated plants 
that it will send its tap-root deep into the 
soil and grow flourishingly, while the poor 
plants it is robbing of food and moisture 
hang their heads and die. If, however, it 
grew only in planted fields it would be much 
easier to keep it under, for us it does not 
bloom until August or perfect its seed until 
later, he is a careless cultivator who allows 
it to reach the latter stage among his grow¬ 
ing crops; but after the harvesting of a crop 
of grain the dormant seeds start into life by 
the million, if the season be wet, and there 
follows another crop that is entirely unde¬ 
sirable but cannot be got rid of. The reme¬ 
dies I would suggest for this may be deemed 
impracticable, but I will give them never¬ 
theless. The first would be to summer fal¬ 
low the fields to be sown with grain und 
grass, keeping the soil moved just as ofteu 
as possible through the season, so as to in¬ 
sure the germination of most of the seeds 
already in the soil. The second, to sow both 
grain and grass in drills so far apart as to 
cultivate between them and kill the weeds. 
A quixotic idea, perhaps, but still one that 
may be found to pay. The specific name of 
the weed in question is A. artemasifolia, 
or wormwood-leaved Ambrosia. It belongs 
to the “ Compound Family,” haring flowers 
massed together upon common receptacles, 
and is monoecious, bearing the male and 
female flowers upon different parts of the 
same plant, the former all along the ends of 
the branches upon the under side of saucer- 
shaped receptacles, from which the pollen 
readily falls or is blown upon the pistillate 
flowers, borne two together in the forks of 
the branches below. Its leaves are finely- 
cut and quite pretty in outline, resembliug 
somewhat in shape and more in taste those 
of wormwood. 
The weed second in numbers, though yet 
quite small and not readily distinguished 
from other grasses, was the bristly fox-tail 
grass (Setm ia gluuca) which often abounds 
in gardens and fields as well as along road¬ 
sides late in the season. This is another ugly 
pest, where light yellow, bristly, hairy 
heads, about the size of a head of barley, 
are too frequently seen. This, like the last, 
is an annual, not surviving the winter and 
requiring some time to perfect its growth, 
so that there is no excuse for allowing it to 
seed among hoed crops. 
Third in numbers was a plant of the 
Bpurge family, to which the Castor-oil bean 
and the South American trees from which 
india-rubber is obtained, belong. Nearly all 
efie plants of this family have a thick, milky 
juice, and our little creeping, spotted weed 
*( Euphorbia macula la) is no exception to the 
rule, it lies flat upon the ground, some¬ 
times spreading over two or three square 
l feet, and being so precocious in flowering 
? that it is in fruit and ripening its first seeds 
almost as soon as seen. The leaves are less v 
than half an inch long and marked with a c 
conspicuous brown-red spot in the center, c 
whence its specific name. The juice is so far t 
identical with india-rubber that if it was o 
practicable to obtain it in sufficient quanti- 1 
ties it would no doubt serve the same pur- t 
pose. In field culture it is not considered C 
very troublesome, but it is a great nuisance f 
in the garden. 
After tbia ranks the five-leaved Golden t 
Hod (Solidayo tenuifolia ), another member t 
of that great family of Composite}, some¬ 
times denominated one of the “royal fami- t 
lies” of plants, and one which furnishes < 
about a tenth of the whole number of flow¬ 
ering plants known. The genus Golden Rod I 
embraces nearly forty different species in s 
the Eastern portion of the United States, 1 
while in England but a single sj<ecies is found. « 
The particular species mentioned above is : 
the only one that appears as u weed in culti¬ 
vated soil; it especially abounds in okl pas¬ 
tures in autumn, but only appears among 
growing crops in the latter* part, of the sea 
son, and certainly cannot rank among the 
most pernicious weeds. 
The fifth is one of the family of Amaranths 
or everlasting flowers (Amarantua a Uni x) 
distinguished by the dry, husk like and mi- 
withering character of the bracts that sui - 
round the inconspicuous flowers. To this 
family belong the garden cockscombs, with 
brightly colored bracts, but our weed is of a 
uniform light green color, conspicuous for 
nothing but its ugliness. It is very bushy, 
attains a bight of one or two feet, am 
abounds only in gardens or among low-hoed 
crops like potatoes, where in wet seasons it 
sometimes makes ft dense growth in Augi st 
and September. It grows rapidly, and is 
consequently of a soft and watci v textuit. 
The next in order was another of the 
Spurge family (Acuylpha Virginia) with 
small greenish flowers and fruit that, would 
generally be passed by unnoticed. It affects 
gardens and damp soil, and is likewise an 
autumn weed. To this succeeds one of the 
buckwheat family (Polygonum Ptrsicavia) 
known as Lady’s Thumb. It resembles very 
much the common Smarlwced, growing like 
that around dwellings and yards, but has a 
lighter stem and a dark V shaped blotch in 
the center of each leaf. This is another au¬ 
tumn weed that often runs riot in neglected 
fields, and I have seen a corn field where It 
made so much better a stand than til© corn 
that the latter was not cut. 
The eighth was the well known Purslane 
(Portulaccu oberacea), whose specific names 
indicates the fact that it. is sometimes used 
as a pot herb; indeed I believe it is much 
relished for “greens” in some sections, 
though I cannot speak of its qualities from 
experience. This plant spreads over the 
surface rapidly in wet weather, and is very 
troublesome among some kinds of low-grow- 
; mg vegetables, especially onions, being so 
‘ tenacious of life that nothing short of baking 
* over a hot fire will kill it. The same succu¬ 
lent. live-for-ever form of leaves is seen in 
j our garden Fortulacca, its near relative. 
Like that, too, this only blooms in the morn- 
’ j u g and has a curious seed pod, whose top 
falls off like a lid. 
Next ranks one of the Goosefoofc family 
[ (Chmopudium album), commonly called pig- 
, weed or lamb’s quarters. This grows five or 
f six feet in bight, and abounds principally in 
fence comers or other neglected localities, 
j as it becomes too conspicuous an object to 
i remain in cultivated fields. Its flowers, like 
f those of the Amaranth, are not conspicuous, 
. but the seeds are produced just as abundaut- 
r ly notwithstanding. 
1 Tenth aud last was a small patch of the 
tile nut-graas (Cyperux phymatodex), pro- 
t duced with ashes from the North, whose 
2 bulb-like roots are scattered in cultivation, 
1 and which it is well nigh impossible to erad- 
s icate. I am not quite certain as to the 
species, never having seen it in bloom. It is 
a noteworthy fact that plants like this 
v which multiply rapidly by offsets from the 
roots seldom produce, seed. 
, Besides these ten species of more or less 
I pernicious weeds, I noticed four others, 
, which, being plants out of place in a potato 
o field, must rank as weeds, though they will 
never cause the cultivator a great deal of 
e trouble in that capacity. They were the 
n little yellow-flowered, wood sorrel (Oxalis 
h strict, i), abunch of blue-grass (Poo, pratense), 
II some oat (Arena saliva) and Indian com 
y (Zea mays). The most of these weeds were 
d very small, though but for the prolonged 
ie drouth they would have been larger and 
2 - much more numerous without more hoeing, 
’e In that case, too, the relative proportions 
g would doubtless have been different, for we 
Is can be quite sure that the white Amaranth 
would have gone up towards the head of the 
class, if it had not reached it, as it often 
crowds the persistent hitter weed and some¬ 
times outnumbers it, It is possible that one 
or two of the coarse panic grasses may have 
been present, but if so they were so small 
that I considered them all as “ corn-grass.” 
Only three of the ten were blooming and 
fruiting—the two members of the Spurge 
family and the Amaranth; and they begin 
to bloom os soon as they attain an inch or 
two of hight. 
The first six species mentioned were scat¬ 
tered over the whole field, though it was 
only the first, two that were at all abundant. 
The last four were very 41 local,” being con¬ 
fined to the borders of the field or certain 
spots. These ten species of weeds belonged 
to ten different genera and eight different 
orders or families of plants, showing that no 
single section of the vegetable kingdom 
monopolizes the unwelcome intruders among 
our crops any more than the useful plants. 
But in very truth I do not know that we can 
call even the vilest weed useless. It might 
be difficult to say what they are all worth, 
but it is certainly better that some plant, 
however unsightly, should cover the surface 
of a neglected field than that the naked 
earth should become parched and baked 
under our fierce summer suns. n. w, v. 
Jiutufiirial Stories. 
ABOUT a VERMONT FARM. 
THE FARM OF t. BRAINEBD, ST. AIBAHS VT. 
E. R. Towle furnishes the Bt. Albans. 
Messenger the following concerning a farm 
located near Bt, Albans. It is published in 
the Rural New Yorker because we think 
it shows that the teachings of the Rural are 
not altogether theoretical. 
THE FARM 
contains about -00 acres of land, mostlj 
cleared, and is generally composed of a 
gravelly soil, or loam. It came into the pos¬ 
session’of Mr. Brainerd about ten years ago 
and was very much run down in condition, 
from bad management, so much so that t he 
first winter the hay cut on it was hardly 
sufficient to keep four cows and two horses, 
which would indicate an extreme degree of 
impoverishment or neglect. Last winter, oi 
some niue years thereafter, there were kept 
on this farm 78 head of cattle, mostly cow s, 
a pair of mules, another of horses, aud three 
colts of different ages. 
The hay and a large umount of coarse fod¬ 
der, quite a quanity of grain and 51400 bushels 
of sugar beets, were raised upon the farm 
only requiring for this large stock, in addi¬ 
tion, the purchase of shorts or other kinds of 
provender, as this is fed the year round to 
cows giving milk. 
SYSTEM OF fARMING. 
To accomplish so great a change in a farm 
in the time indicated, will lead directly to 
the consideration of the question of “how it 
was done,” aud vc are glad to inform our 
farmer readers that it has been brought 
about, so far as the capital is concerned, en¬ 
tirely from the income derived from the 
furni, and is not, as some might suspect, the 
result of the outlay of money otherwise 
furnished or supplied. 
That there has been some head-work not 
entirely the outgrowth of the soil we will 
admit,’and to its directing power may be at¬ 
tributed in a great measure results such as 
are seldom secured from agriculture in New 
England. . 
Mr. B. ‘sells milk in St. Albans, and for this 
purpose it is necessary to have a supply the 
year round. Over 40 cows were giving milk 
at the time of our visit and as the soiling 
system is practiced with those, they aie 
kept in well-arranged stables all of the time, 
with the exception of two hours daily, when 
they are turned into a pasture. They were 
being fed on dry hay and sugar beets, which 
would last uutff June 25th, and provender ; 
were in excellent condition, and from ap¬ 
pearances must be giving a veiy satisfactory 
return at the pail. 
About 100 tons of soiling com is raised an¬ 
nually, and this is all cut by horse power and 
along with the straw fed to the cows during 
the winter, or as long as it will last. The hay 
is fed without being cut. The beets are fed 
from the time of harvesting until near July. 
Last year he raised 2400 bushels from two 
acres. Provender of some description is fed 
the year round to cows giving milk, as it is 
necessary to keep up a continual supply for 
customers. 
Aside from the milk sold, which amounts 
to some $3,500 annually, a large quantity of 
cream is furnished for restaurants, and this 
having to be skimmed sweet, the milk from 
which it is taken is fed to calves raised to 
supply the wants of the dairy. 
The stables are arranged with sinks behind 
the cows for the reception of the urine and 
droppings, and as absorbents are. used—dried 
mack and sawdust—a large quantity of ma¬ 
nure is made, last year about to 650 loads. 
Here is one of the benefits of the soiling 
system : much more manure made, saved 
and applied where wanted, producing great lv 
increased crops. The cows receive good at¬ 
tention, and are carded dally through the 
winter, XL-. B. claiming more benefit from 
this than from a feed of grain alone. 
CROPS RAISED. 
Great dependence is placed upon the bay 
crop, and the meadows are being put into 
the best condition possible for this purpose, 
and when this is successfully accomplished, 
it is intended to let them remain in grass, 
keeping Up a good production by top-dress¬ 
ing. This crop was looking finely, and it is 
thought the product will reach 90 tons. 
Sixteen acres are in fodder corn and Mr. 
B. calculates on a product of 100 tons cured 
for winter use, besides that fed green during 
the season. It is sown in drills and the 
varieties are the sweet and the Southern 
white corn. Think there is not much differ¬ 
ence in the quality of the two kinds as fod¬ 
der. Some twelve, acres are devoted to field 
corn. This is harvested when the corn com¬ 
mences to glaze, as at this period the stalks 
are worth much more for stock and as the 
grain is also fed, the most profit is realized 
in tliis way. We omitted to mention that 
the sowed corn cured for winter is not har¬ 
vested until the ears have attained to con¬ 
siderable size, making it more valuable on 
this account. The quantity of seed sown per 
acre in one bushel. 
About fifteen acres are devoted to wheat, 
oats and barley. 
RENOVATIHG GRASS LAND. 
Where meadows are run down or the grass 
bound out and it is not desirable to plow, 
. the following course is pursued: Boon after 
haying, the ground is thoroughly harrowed, 
, all obstructions to the mowing machine re¬ 
moved, one-hall’ bushels of grass seed and 
• c lover mixed, sown to the acre, by XL M. 
Sunderland’s improved seeder and roller, 
which does the work perfectly ; then twenty 
’• f „u loads of fine manure to the acre is bushed 
r i n both ways unt il it is thoroughly distribu- 
t ted over the surface. 
We noticed a field of eight acres devoted 
i to con. and on which was a thrifty young 
orchard. The first crop we believe that Mr. 
- B took from this field was six small loads of 
5 hay, composed principally of white daisies 
i This was cut early and then the ground 
- thoroughly ban-owed. A second crop ol 
f green stuff started up and this was turned 
j under with a plow. The next year three 
successive crops of buckwheat were sown, 
with three or more bushels of seed to the 
acre, aud when iu blossom plowed in. The 
1 first growth was small, the next better and 
“ the third the best of all. The following spring 
l . oats were sown and sixty-five good loads 
. harvested. . 
1 \y e never heard of a more successful ui- 
l_ stance of green manuring than this, and 
6 commend it to the attention of every farmer. 
ayrshires. 
6 Mr. B. has about 40 head of full blood and 
, grade Ayrshire cows. This stock originally 
,, came from the herds of the Messrs. Dodds 
and Dawes of Montreal, aud Carlos Baxter 
'l of Burlington. We saw most of these am- 
,, amis and they are fine specimens of this cele¬ 
brated breed, being of a style that entitles 
k them eminently to the distinction of dairy 
stock The objection of short teats would 
l not apply to this herd, and they are gentle 
g aud easy to milk, contrary to opinions ad- 
Z vanced by some. . , 
s That they are deep milkers may bemfei i ed 
n from the shape and size of the udders, as 
v well as the general contour of the animals. 
,, T’hav hold out their milk exceedingly well, 
. and are nicely adapted to the purpose for 
’ which they are kept. , 
Mr. B. raises his own stock, but we tl 
y makes no specialty of breeding for sale. 
GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS. 
" As has been intimated, the income of ^the 
1 farm, and this only, is employed for the 
“K pose of carrying it on and matong unGl 
y moots. Of the results an idea h*8peengi 
>d To accomplish this, m n ?\ StU -rlf irm ha- 
„ money has been expended. ljU[l 
y ’ been pretty thoroughly gone will 
'° into a shape where futurejinprtveiuwts ^ 
id be comparati vely easy. From a slat ■ ^ 
is povei-ishment. it has been raism 3 hort 
... great productiveness, and vhat in 'he 
Jl £ti ) a/.e often years. And the end u • . , 
Sei i,s Mr) B. thinks the farmought and 
ts can be made to keep 100 head 9* .“bright, 
of judging from the past, we think he is b 
