a a —— el 
‘smelling nature. 
Feb. 1, 1904 
pee SUN a ee ee 
in one year may be set down approxi- 
mately. as follows, based on the actual 
amount measured as lost from a water sur- 
face during 1902, and observation by Mr. 
Russell at Sydney Observatory : 
Water ‘ , Evaporatiou 
Annual | evaporatea | wha | 
trom bare ! f Le ees from a 
Rainfall | earth; sur- | 1 aa ert a | 
face con- ue ee by water 
Average. stantly coves ad y 
loosened, MEE surface. 
i | | 
32 inches, | 47 inches. 
33 inches, - | 45 inches. | 
———oo en nk eee 
Of course there must be moisture to eva- 
porate or the process slows down and may 
stop: the effect of plants on evaporation 
is, however, well seen in these figures. 
(d) Weeds afford a shelter and food for 
injurious insects and plant parasites. The 
Cat’ Heads—bad weed in paddocks. 
common wild cresses (pepper weed and 
wild carrot, for ifstance) are the hosts of 
two very injurious fungus parasites which 
attack cauliflowers, cabbages, turnip, and 
rape at times. Henbane is the host of a 
common and destructive tobacco disease. 
Hence we say, keep down these and such 
like doubly-detrimental weeds by all 
means in our power. Of course, we must 
know the weeds and parasites; herein is 
one important reason for gaining know- 
ledge on this question. - 
(e) Weeds add impurities to grain or 
green feed, of a prickly, sticky, or evil- 
“Some are bad milk 
tainters, whilst some are poisonous or 
otherwise detrimental to stock. At the 
present time we have under investigation 
at the College a case of milk tainting .e- 
sulting in serious loss from inferior butter. 
‘Also, another important case in the 
poisoning of some of our sheep, the sus- 
pected plant being the Yellow Rush Lily, 
a small introduced Iris. 
SPECIAL VALUE TO AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES 
ATTACHING TO A CONSIDERATION OF 
WEEDS. 
Finally, an aspect of tae question that 
brings you all into more active interest in 
the weeds, if such could be the case, 18: 
What can you do in the matter besides the 
ordinary weed destruction that occurs dur- 
ing farm work! By 
There is much to be done, chiefly in 
three special lines of _ work, where co- 
operation would accomplish great results. 
lst. Make a combined effort in the 
direction of trying to prevent the 
spread of the noxious weeds we 
have in the district already. 
Qnd. Interest yourselves individually 
and collectively in preventing the 
-lodgment of any new weed in your 
district that is likely to be detri- 
mental. 
3rd. Plant no weed seeds. 
To carry out the first point it is neces- 
‘sary to know what: weeds. we have, and 
which of them demand special attention. 
Several specially noxious things have 
newly arrived or are spreading in other dis- 
-triets; they need not spread here if fore- 
warned is forearmed. 
T therefore suggest that steps be taken 
through the members of this Society to 
obtain a census of the weeds of the district, 
where they are located, and their compara- 
sive quantity. 
: ‘We shall i. glad to receive at the Col- 
lege any collections or individual plants for 
;dentification and report, and are prepared 
to carry out all the necessary work in com- 
piling the materials for such a. census as 1s 
suggested. The children might be en- 
couraged to keep their eyes open and their 
hands busy in getting specimens of all 
weeds. 
Secondly, keep on the lookout for new 
things in weeds. “You are the eyes and 
the brain of the agricultural producers of 
the district. Every day you look over an 
extensive area of land. Anything new 
to you should be immediately investigated 
as to its qualities. A dangerous enemy 
might thus be detected before too late, and 
a snecial effort made to get rid of it. 
T know a parson in the States who 
wanted the fence round his church pro- 
perty painted. His people were not well 
off. They could not give much money, 
but they clubbed together, bought the 
materials, met one Saturday afternoon, 
and painted the fence. Why could not we 
do the same kind of thing to eradicate 
something which might be a menace to our 
district?) No Agricultural Society should 
be so apathetic as to. allow the sweet. briar, 
for example, to begin, as a few plants scat- 
tered here and there ina few years cover 
many hundred ‘acres. when a few willing 
hands could clear off the unwelcome in- 
truders in a few hours. In this direction 
good work could he dene by a Society tak- 
ing such steps as were considered desirable 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 9 
in the interests of the community, even to 
the extent of holding a working “Bee.” 
Just now we are at an interesting stage 
in the weed question. The drought has, 
in the importation of stock food, brought 
in many plants new to the country; it 
behoves us to see that nothing detrimental 
gets a footing here. Of all places the roads 
and railways should be watched, for there 
the aliens commonly get a first footing. 
_ The third point is one of equal impor- 
tance with the other two. See to it that 
no weed seeds are planted with your crop 
seeds so far as it is possible to prevent it. 
We recently had under investigation a 
sample of wheat containing a large per- 
centage of corn-cockle seeds. Such wheat, 
if the weed were not got rid of, would, if 
sown, give very impure results, and with 
Docks. 
this weed-seed admixed might, if used. far 
flour, be positively dangerous to human 
life. This subject engages considerable at- 
tention at the College, and any seed sent 
for examination will receive prompt atten- 
tion and report. 
Before sowing; then, always cxamine 
your seed carefully; if it contains weed- 
seeds, screen it and get rid of them; do 
not throw them out, but put them in the 
fire, or, better still, parcel them up and let 
“us have them with all particulars at some 
convenient opportunity. 
_ Should the Society feel disposed to act 
in the ways: indicated I will ask permis- 
sion to prepare a set of the district weeds 
with remarks indicating those needing 
special attention, for framing. Such a 
NR cane 
2 i Hike. 
iin 
ner 
