The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-06-07
A CHAMBER on Weeds.

MO5j OF cur NoeOSs ike Uur Nefulth, orc ioA-
eigners. They find an easy living in their new
home, where tho soil is rich and the compe-'
tition not SO great as in the closely occupied
fields of the Old World. The native weeds
are shy and harmless in comparison with the
persistent and pugnaeious ones that have, IKE
vagabonds, emigrated to our shores. why
should it be that plants of another country not
only find their way here, but, after arriving,
assert themselves with vigor far surprising
our native herbs? Dr. Asa Gray, in writing
upon this point, says GAS the district here in
which the weeds of the Old World prevail was
naturally first clad, there vera few of its native
herbs which, if they could tear the exposure at
all, were capable of competition on the cleared
land with emigrants from the old World" The
European weeds, had through long ages adapt
ed themselves to the change from forest to
cleared land, and were therefore prepared TO
flourish here in the rich forest soil that was sud
denly exposed to the sun aud subjected 10 OH
or new conditions by the telling OF, the trees
To 90 back to this, we are not sure that the an
cestors of some of our European weeds ever
came from the forests, but, instead, were
brought into the cleared-up lands from open re-
gions in the early days of agriculture in the
Old World.
Just how these weeds all came to US is diff
cult to say, but, in general, they emigrate by
the direct agencies of man. We know that they
are here, and that they have come TO stay-un-
til the day of determination is at hand.
'Weeds," Burroughs says, ARE great travellers;
they are indeed the tramps of the vegetable
world. They are going east, west, north, south;
they walk; they fly: they SWIM they steal ride;
fI,ny trait nv rail nv Hood Inv wind. thaV cO
under ground and they 60 above across lot and
by the highway. But, like other trampS, they
find il safest by the highway; in the fields they
ara intercepted and cut off, but on the public
road every boy, every passing herd of sheep, or
COW gives them lift" Fifty years ago the cone
flower (Rudbeckia hista) which fourished west
of the Alleghanies was unknown farther east;
but now it is a conspicuous weed in grain fields
throughout the eastern States, the pest having
been introduced with clover seed or baled hay
or by both these means. The weeds Of the far
East are fast rushing out toward the far West,
and, in return, the West is adding year by year
to the long list of the weeds that infest the land
of the eastern farmer
The importance of a thorough knowledge of
weeds is much more appreciated in Europe
than with us. In Germany, for example, they
have wall maps upon which the various culti-
waited plants and weeds of the field and garden
are represented. These maps are hung
upon the school room walls, and child simply
from daily seeing these life-like colored draw
ings of the various plant pests, will learn their
appearance and their name Some such meth
cd of instruction is needed in this country, by
which the children that are to be our farmers
and gardeners may become familiar with
the different troublesome weeds. The
most dreaded weeds should be known, even in
advance of their advent to locality, that the
proper means may be taken at once for meet
ing and destroying them. Every child should
know the Canada thistle and learn TO dread it,
even before the pain which its prickly heritage
causes in the bare feet and hands has been ex-
perienced. Editors of agricultural papers and
professors in agricultural colleges receive many
letters yearly asking for the simplest kind of
information concerning common weeds, thu9
showing the general lack of knowledge on this
important subject
There are large nu mber of farmers clubs
throughout the country, and great good might
be done by hanging weed chart upon the wall
of the halls where farmers and their families
ment and the better understanding of
the ways and means of more profitable agri-
culture.
Weeds have been neglected in more ways
than one, and just so far as they are overlook
ed and left to themselves, the greater will be
the curse. If one looks over premium list of
any of our thousand town, county and other
fairs he seldom sees a prize offered for the best
collection of weeds. 1t may be incompatible
with our fitness of things to have a gooQ colec-
ton of anything that is bad; and yet the fact
remains that there is no class of plants the in
creased knowledge about which is more inner
alive than these same ugly weeds. A few dol
lars expended in awards by each fair associa-
ton would bring together list of plant pests,
the exhibition of which would not only sur
prise but greatly instruct those who see them.
1t is not less important for the farmers of any
district to know OF the arrival of new weed
than of the advent of new fruit or grain. Ex-
hbitions of weeds at fairs are, therefore,
n ut nYf ipey
and increasing the knowledge of our plant
pests.
The subject of weed-killing is not less impor-
tant than that of learning about the pests. The
one bears the same relation to the other that
the drill and discipline in methods OF warfare
to the actual battle-the hand-to-hand fight,
for which the preparations have been made.
It is mostly as seeds that the weeds of the Old
World have crossed the ocean and established
colonies in the New. It is in the cramped
quarters within the seed coats that
tho germs of noxious plant pests pass
to and fro in our own country. The seed
may be truly said to be the migratory
state Of every p ant; and it is here that the
work of discriminating weeds must begin. This
may be done by-tirst, sowing ON weed seeds.
and, secondly by letting no weeds sow their
own seeds Some of the perennial weeds prop
agate by other means than their seeds, and
such If already in the ground will need other
Treatment. The sowing of no weed seeds means
plants S lch seeds are rare. DIR. LIE Doux
has shown in q lecture before this association,
two years ago, that the extensive examinations
of commercial seeds at the Gel man experiment
tai stations teach that the average per cent. of
pure seeds is not far from 50. For example,
Prof. Knobbe found sample of orchard grass
containing seeds of no less than As other plants.
A pound of clover seed of average purity con-
tanned IA 400 foreign seeds, and among them
A species of weeds were represented. Sowing
Ia, rrtft srnh nTYfr rpnno ,nnF fh0n
simple seeding down to clover. This matter
rests very largely with those who grow the
Seeds If they raise only pure seeds there will
be no further difficulty mere. If the seedmen
send out only that one kind, true to the dill,
their skirts are clear. If the farmer raises his
own seed, and knows it is foul, he cannot go to
his house justified after sowing such mixture
on his cultivated field. Seeds are small, and
especially SO are those of many eeds; they
are difficult to detect, and ON this account much
in seed buying on the part of the farmer,
must be done on faith. hand lens will help
greatly in many cases, provided the weed seeds
thus magnified are recognized, Right here the
wall maps may lend helping hand by giving
an enlarged view of the seeds. The opportun-
ity for deception in seeds, intended or other
wise, is SO great that commercial seedsmen
and seed growers may well be watched and
their goods tested by persons who are experts,
much in the same way that manufacturers aud
sellers in commercial fertilizers are held in
check. Seed testing should become one of the
important labors of the various experimental
stations
1t cannot be hoped that all weed seeds will
be killed; in fact, much of the soil of every
country long devoted to agriculture is already
we'll stocked with them. The pillow that turns
under one crop of seeds brings another to the
surface, SO that there is constant supply. The
next thing to the killing of a weed seed is the
destruction of the young plant which grows
from, III The Qarljar in life a xuand ia dactr0vad
the easier. and the smaller the damage it will
have done. There is no royal road to weed
killing. There is no panacea for weeds-noth-
ing that can be put ON a field to kill them,
unless it be the full and proper application of
that which for the lack of better and heater
name, is called "elbow grease" This will not
only kill the weeds but alao improve the cult
waited crops.