The Portland daily press., 1879-03-13
AGRICULTURAL.


Prof. Prentiss, of Cornell says The ropu-
lar notion OF weed is that it is an entirely
useless plant. The agricultural idea is that
weeds are plants growing among our crops
and encioaching upon them. A plant, which
under ordinary circumstances becomes very
troublesome weed, under other crcumstal ces
is useful plant. And often plants which
are carefully cultivated as farm crops so in
trude themselves to the injury of other crops,
as 10 be most troublesome weeds. Hence, IS
a general Gefinition, weed is any plant out
OF place.
have attempted a classification of weeds
with reference to the kinds of crops, or rath-
er conditions of soil which they infest;
First-Weeds of cultivated ground. These
include those which are troublesome in corn
fields, gardens, and with all hoed crops.
Second-Weeds of grain fields and sowed
crops.
Third-Weeds of pastures and meadows.
Fourth-Weeds OF waste places.
On investigation we find that nearly all are
foreigners. Indeed, nearly all our plants of
cultivated regions of America, like the inhab
itants have come from foreign countries. OF
all our grains and prominent farm products
only two, Indian corn and potatoes, are ma
tives of America. The rest have been brought
here at periods more or less remote by people
emigrating to these shores. Our domestic
animals are all natives of other countries.
For yermin traits, mice, etc. we are indebted
to foreign countries, aud of noXious insects
we have only one prominent natlve-the po-
tato beetle-with which you are quite too
well acquainted.
Man, himself is foreigner. We speak of
the Irishman or the German, or the China
man as foreigners, as though we had ma
tive inheritance of the soil, but we are all
foreigners, for the natives of America, the
Ind noarlU pyfinrt SO Ampraap
weeds are for the most part imported. OF
the total 100 kinds no are of foreign birth
and only twenty are indigenous to America.
Ofthe fifty-four "weeds of culture, we find
that forty-two are natives OF Europe, one
native of tropical America and eleven are
natives of the United States, the single arri-
val from tropical America being pigeon
weed or what is called red root in Michigan.
1t is very Troublesome weed in that State,
but it is not so common here. Besides being
hardy and vigorous plant to be success as
a weed must be very fruitful and multiply
Itself rapidly. We find that single plant of
our weeds is capable of from 1000 to $4,000
seeds. / shall give later, the number of seeds.
which have been known to produce. The
next quality which is of importance is facility
for dissemination. Some are provided with
wings and papus, as the dandelion, thistle,
etc. These are carried long distances on the
wind, and serve to spread their species over
wide regions. Another species of weeds has
Its seeds provided with barbs, by which they
cling to the clothing of men, the hair of ami
mails or even the feathers of birds and in this
way they make their journeyngs to new
fields and new reeioHs. There are other
miscellaneous provisions for disseminating
weeds. The seeds become mixed with seeds
of useful plants and ia this way we plant
weeds which ever after are pest to us.