Rocky Ford enterprise., 1901-10-18
FARM AND GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO AGRi-
CulTuRiSTS.
Some Up-to-Dats Hints Abeas c.isi-
vstiea Of the ssii and Yields
TAsrsof-Hortieuiturs. Sitieaitars and
ttoFie ulturs-
os,.r....s E.s,s,s Of woods.

0eysssass E.hibis Of woods.
The exhibit OF weeds and weed seeds
by the United States Department OF
Agriculture is well worthy OF mention.
To know them 10 the first step toward
keeping weeds in check. In the past
some OF the most dangerous and
troublesome ones have spread over
whole townships before they were rec
oguixed. The ignorance regarding tho
Identity OF weeds is surprising. Science
has TO large extent discovered the
easiest way OF keeping each kind o:
weed in check. The knowledge thus
gained is disseminated by the asricul-
tural press and by the station bulletins.
But what good does 1t do for a man
to know how to treat weed II ae does
not know tho weed when he sees IL!
Exhibits Of weeds are therefore neces-
sary and are sure to be appreciated by
tho men that want to learn.
The weeds exhibited at Buffalo arc
growing In pots and comprise only the
most common kinds. among which tho
writer noticed tho following: curled
dock. sorrel. rough pig weed. smart
weed. rasweed (ambrosia artemisoe-
folia). wild carrot tdaucus car
ota). iambsquarter. also called pig
weed (chcnopodium album. plantain.
crabgrass. buekhorn (ripple). witch
grass. yellow foxtaii. chess (chcap.
and mayweed.
Seeds OF weeds and OF on. common
grasses were shown In open glass
bowls. ~'>scd glass tubes. and also un-
der micros- pes. A strong instrument
OF this kind was placed before every
kind OF seed with sample under Il
ready for inspection. This was done
for tho purpose Of familiarizinE the
visitors with tho characteristics Of
each kind OF seed. The samples were
Of those most likely to be found In the
cultivated fodder plants and grasses.
There were seeds OF tho weeds men
toned above and In addition seeds OF
COW cookie. corn cockio. Held doddcr.
oxeyc daisy. yellow fox,a!l. green fox
tail (pigeon grass). pepper grass and
trefoil. Among the seeds OF cultivated
grasses were those OF alsIke clover.
alfalfa. red clover. red top. bcardlcss
bronze grass. Kentucky blue grass and
orchard grass.
II Is advisable for tho farmer to
know all tho seeds mentioned. rs the
seeds OF the grasses mentioned nrc
quite commonly rendered impure by
large amounts of the seeds
Of the weeds mentioned. A dollar lens
In tho hands OF farmer familiar with
those seeds will make II possible to do
tect the presence among commercial
seeds Of obnoxious weed seeds. A gen.
sral knowledge Of this kind would soon
render impossible the sale OF seed i'm
pure or aduiterated. Yellow trefoil
seed Is used extensively rs an adul-
terant Of clover seed. and II so close
y resembles the seed OF red clover
that the ordinary buyer OF clover seed
ls unable to distinguish It from clover
seed. But the microscope reveals some
features. The clover
seed Of whatever color has triangular
with broadly rounded cor
ners. This triangular formation Is not
likely to be noticed by the amateur un-
less his attention be called to II. The
seed Of trefoil. on the other hand. has
none of this formation. but is quite
nat and bean-shaped. Its color, too, is
more Of the yellow order. and It does
not have the purplish cast as do many
Of the seeds OF red clover. Moreover
It lacks the gloss. The man that finds
the seeds Of yellow trefoil in his clover
seed should know that 1t has been in
adulterated, as the yellow
trefoil has habits OF growth that make
1t unlikely that its seed would get
mixed naturally with the seeds of red
clover. When the seed of yellow tre-
foil is thus found, the quantity is like
ly to be large. as some OF the mixers
claim that as high as 30 per cent can
be mixed with red clover seed with
out detection by the purchaser.