244 
THE CULTIVATOR 
August, 
Often weeds are not suspected to be sucb unUl it is 
too late to get rid of them easily. For all these that 
it is not practicable to cut, plowing, good plowing, or 
other similar means of stirring the ground, is. the 
way to treat them. In fallow ground, stir it often. 
Whenever a weed is seen pushing a leaf above the 
surface, plow or cultivate again, give it no chance at 
the air, and if the season be a moderately dry one, a 
single summer is often enough for their effectual ex 
termination. Some farmers prefer this method to all 
others in killing Canada thistles. All practical farm¬ 
ers understand this part of the subject, as well as the 
necessity of having it thoroughly done, if we would 
have it effectual. As to the auxiliaries to the plow, 
the cultivator, the harrow, hoe, &c., there is much dif¬ 
ference of opinion among those having any considera¬ 
ble experience, some preferring one, and some another, 
according to the weeds they have been dealing with, 
the soil in which they grow, and other circumstances. 
The last method, “ choking ” them out, (I know no 
better term to use than the popular one,) is only appli¬ 
cable to some weeds and 1 to some soils, where we can 
get a cultivated grain with stronger vital power, or’ 
having a stronger affinity to the soil, than the weed 
we wish to eradicate, which by its luxuriant growth, 
smothers the feebler species, and robs them of their 
necessary means of subsistence. In all highly culti¬ 
vated farms, many weeds are partially or entirely 
kept subdued by this method, incidentally to the in¬ 
creased care in cultivation. 
These three methods combined can always be seen 
on well managed farms, that have weeds, until they 
are expelled, and that all must be used, is evident to 
any one who has studied their habits, and the circum¬ 
stances of their growth. 
Many can only' be exterminated by years of labor 
and care, and even then only by the most unceasing 
vigilance. Such is the case with the common chess, or 
cheat, (Bromus secalinus ,) and we need no stronger 
proof of the tenacity with which it clings to soils, than 
the fact that many good and observing farmers, enter¬ 
tain'the belief that it is transmuted wheat! Its seeds 
will remain in the soil for many years, and yet ger 
minate when exposed to the right influences, and a few 
seeds germinating will soon seed a large field. I have 
seen a piece of new land sown with wheat, containing 
it, where it took ten years of unceasing attention to 
eradicate it. It would spring up with the grass of pas¬ 
ture land, and with other grains besides wheat, often 
of the most diminutive size. I have picked specimens 
not more than three inches high, bearing a single small 
spikelet of three or four seeds, which were perfect, and 
capable of perpetuating the race. Under the most fa¬ 
vorable circumstances this same plant will produce as 
high as two or three thousand seeds. I have met with 
an intelligent farmer who says that “he has counted” 
the latter number on a single plant that sprang up in 
his garden. Under such circumstances is it wonderful 
that some think it impossible to get clear of this almost 
universal pest 7 Especially, too, when so many labor 
under the mistaken idea that its seeds will not grow, 
and hence take no pains to keep it out of their barn¬ 
yard manure. Yet it will yield, if properly attended 
to, as we have abundant proofs and examples. 
Nor is this by any means an extraordinary case of 
the flexibility (so to speak) and fruitfulness of some 
species. Last summer, in making some investigations 
upon various weeds I found other cases just as remark¬ 
able. Several specimens of the common Mayweed 
(Maruta cotula) growing by the road side, had from 50 
to 150 heads, and a large one, though by no means an 
unusual large one, bore 305. I counted the seeds in a 
number of heads, and the average was 173 seeds each. 
Allow but an average of 100 seeds per head, and we 
have 30,500 seeds to this single plant. At this rate a 
dozen plants would seed an acre, and have a seed eve¬ 
ry four inches apart, or nine on each square foot. Yet 
this same plant under less favorable circumstances, 
will assume a very insignificant and feeble habit, so as 
to be entirely unnoticed by the careless observer. I 
have seen many specimens less than two inches in 
height, bearing a single small head, and I have one 
specimen in my herbarium which grew but three-eights 
of an inch above ground, or is but seven-eights of an 
inch long including the root, bearing a perfect, though 
very small head of flowers! 
Among other plants of this same natural order, (Com¬ 
posite) I counted and estimated the seeds of several 
species. On a good sized Canada thistle (Cirsium ar- 
vense) I counted 150 heads. This was larger than the 
average, but by no means an unusually large one. 
Some of the heads, especially those which flowered 
late in the season, contained only false seeds, and near¬ 
ly all contained some in this condition, but they con¬ 
tained generally from 50 to 100 good seeds per head. 
This would give a yield of several thousands per plant, 
so that when we consider the other means by which it 
is propagated, its perennial running roots, (subterranean 
stems of botanists) we have a clue to the cause of the 
facility with which this weed spreads, and the tenacity 
with which it clings to its favorite soils. I have seen 
these roots at a depth of three feet in quite hard ; sub¬ 
soils, and (at Ithaca in this state) in a deep sandy soil 
I have met with them at a depth of ten or twelve feet 
from the surface. 
A common pasture thistle (Cirsium lanceolatum) of 
large but not uncommon size, bore 350 heads. Three 
of these heads, not the largest, but above the medium 
size, yielded respectively 457, 417, and 573 perfect 
seeds. Allow an average of but 300 seeds per head, 
and we have over 10,000 seeds for this single plant. 
This seems like a large number; it is so, but I have 
seen thistles twice as large as the one noted, and I 
dare say that many specimens we see in pastures and 
by the road sides, will yield over 1000 fold. 
The common burr dock (Lappa major) bears many 
hundreds of heads, and 60 seeds is not an uncommon 
number to find in a head, but it is a considerable above 
the average. 
This great productiveness or range of growth is not ’ 
