The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-10-22
FARM AND GARDEN.
MATTERS or INTEREST TO AeRl-
CuLTURlSTS.
some Up-to-Dato Hints About cultl-
walton Of the Soil and Yields
Thereof -Horticuiture. vitlcuiture and
Horticulture.


Government Exhibit OF Weeds.
The exhibit OF weeds and weed seeds
by the United States Department Of
Agriculture is well worthy of mention,
To know them is the first step toward
keeping weeds Ia check. In the past
some Of the most dangerous and
troublesome ones have spread over
whole townships before they we're rec
ognized The Ignorance regarding the
identity Of weeds is surprising. Science
has to a large extent discovered the
easiest way Of keeping each kind OF
weed in check. The knowledge thus
gained is disseminated by the agrlcul-
tural press and by the station bulletins.
But what good does it do for man
to know how to treat a weed II he does
not know the weed when he sees 1t?
Exhibits Of weeds are therefore neces-
sary and are sure to be appreciated by
the men that want to learn.
The weeds exhibited at Buffalo are
growing in pots and comprise only the
most common kinds, among which the
writer noticed the following; Curled
dock. sorrel. rough pig weed, smart
weed, ragweed (ambrosia artemisoe-
folia), wild carrot (daucus car
ota), lambsquarter, also called pig
weed (chenopodium album. plantain,
crabgrass. buekhorn lripplel, witch
grass, yellow foxtail, chess leheaD,
and mayweed.
Seeds OF weeds and OF our common
grasses were shown in open glass
bowls, closed glass tubes. and also un-
der microscopes. A strong instrument
Of this kind was placed before every
kind Of seed with a sample under 1t
ready for inspection This was done
for the purpose OF familiarizing the
visitors with the 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 the weeds men
toned above and in addition seeds Of
COW cookie, corn cookie, field dodder,
oxeye daisy, yellow foxtail. 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, beardless
bronze grass. Kentucky blue grass and
orchard grass.
It is advisable for the farmer to
know all the seeds mentioned, as the
seeds Of the grasses mentioned are
quite commonly rendered impure by
obtaining large amounts Of the seeds
af the weeds mentioned A dollar lens
lr the hahas OF farmer familiar with
these seeds will make it possible to de-
tact the presence among commercial
seeds OF obnoxious weed seeds A gem
eral knowledge OF this kind would soon
render impossible the sale Of seed inn
pure or adulterated. Yellow trefoil
seed Is used extensively as an adul-
terant OF clover seed. and # so close
~ resembles the seed OF red clover
that the ordinary buyer Of clover seed
is unable to distinguish It from clover
seed. But the microscope reveals some
distinguishing features. The clover
seed OF whatever color has a triangular
formation, with broadly rounded cor
ners. This triangular formation is not
likely to be noticed By the amateur un-
less his attention be called to It. 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 II 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 Il has been in
tenuonally adulterated, as the yellow
trefoll has habits OF growth that make
Il 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.