THE GARDEN OF THE WORLD 
What are the most 
troublesome 
plants? 
106 
preventing the garden flowers or grass from 
growing well. If they grow in the grain fields, 
their seeds are mixed with the grain at harvest 
time and lower the price the farmer can get for 
his crop. The weeds are not good for cattle 
and spoil the milk if a cow has eaten them. 
The pollen from ragweed gives hay fever to 
many people. 
That is what people think about weeds. 
From the plant point of view, a weed is among 
the most successful of plants. It can do all of 
the things that a plant most needs to do. It 
grows in almost any soil or in nearly any 
climate. It crowds out any plants that are in 
its way and it produces an enormous number of 
seeds. That last fact is the most important. 
Consider how many seeds are sure to be lost 
every year. The plant which has the most to 
begin with is the one which will produce the 
most new plants the next season. 
The best way to prevent weeds from growing 
in our fields and gardens is to keep them from 
going to seed. Most of them are the kind of 
