28 
The Colorado Experiment Station 
which have already passed the early stages of bloom and have bent 
down to ripen their seeds are also apt to escape unless other means 
are taken to destroy them. 
Hand picking is often employed and is very effective but 
tedious. A tool especially designed for gathering the flower 
heads of the dandelion, in all stages of development, has recently 
been put on the market. This tool consists of a rake with teeth 
which resemble those of a saw blade, except that they are longer, 
and it is used in the same manner as a rake. With this rake (Fig. 
....) the young flower buds, the heads in bloom and the seed-ripen¬ 
ing heads may all be gathered in one operation. Its thorough use 
over the lawn once a week should entirely prevent seed production 
on the premises, altho the plants are still left in the ground. 
Poultry versus Dandelions .— 
Most persons who have raised ' 
poultry are aware of the fact that 
chickens, ducks and geese are 
fond of the dandelion tops and 
will eat them in preference to 
grass. In one case under the 
writer’s observation an area of 8 
or 10 square rods of lawn is used 
each spring as a pasture for about 
forty or fifty young chickens. 
The grass is cut only a few times 
during the growing season, mere¬ 
ly enough to keep it from going 
to seed. No dandelions are to be 
seen on this area, altho no at¬ 
tempt is made to destroy them. 
The chickens keep them and the 
white clover eaten down as fast 
as they appear, but do not seem to 
molest the grass, which forms a deep sod. 
This suggests the feasibility of employing a light, portable 
yard which could be moved over the lawn during the months of 
April and May and would permit of utilizing the dandelions for 
growing chickens, ducklings or goslings. Side and back yards, 
which are often allowed to become badly infested with dande¬ 
lions, could thus be made to yield considerable forage in raising 
the growing flock and at the same time be cleared of this weed 
for the remainder of the season. 
Lawn Grass and Dandelions .—The foundation for most lawn 
mixtures is Kentucky Blue Grass, a plant which is capable, under 
Fig. 15. (a) The Dandelian rake. 
It is used to remove the flower heads 
in the prevention of seed production, 
(b) A dandelion digger found on the 
market. Its chief defect is the thin 
blade, which does not permit of deep 
digging without bending. 
