The Morning examiner. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1904-1910, 1909-03-14
IDENTIFICATION OF WEEDS
OFTEN A DIFFICULT TASK
Government Experts Have TO Pass
Upon all Kinds Of Plants.

The Office of the plant Identification
at tho department oil agriculture.
which Is presided over by W. F.
Wright, whose knowledge Of plant life
is very extensive. often is called upon
10 identify the commoncst weeds as
we'll as the rarest plants and trees.
Frequently specimens OF ordinary
weeds find their way 10 this innteroSt-
ing Office, and sometimes not enough
of sample Is sent 10 make identifica-
ton possible The milk weed has had
many runs on the Office, samples COM
ing In from all sections. the senderS
desiring to know all about the weed,
Its uses, possibilities and the like
Where sufficiently large specimen is
sent In, OF course. Identification is
easy. but when imperfect specimens
aTe received they find their way at
once 10 the limbo OF tho wastcpaper
basket
Mr. Wright and his associates are
very obliging and are glad TO Identify.
when possible. any plant that may be
sent in When thoy finally decide
what plant is. TO what particular
branch Of given family 1t belongs.
and other incldentals their decision
can be safely relied upon. But IL is
not always easy to identify a plant
Sometimes most careful. painstnking
study is required Mr. Wright told
the Wcman's National Daily that he
has had 10 consult hundreds OF vol
umeS of scientific works in order TO
identify some single specimens sent
In His is one OF the important Offices
/ the work of which Is carried Oh quietly
and Of which little is known.
AS an accomplished botanIst Mr..
Wright receives difficult specimen
with zest and. as rule, thoroughly
enjoys tracing mp the different species
and branch families. Sometimes ne
Will find that there are score OF
more different branches OF a given
species After having located the spe.
! cieS, therefore. he must determine the
branch 10 which the specimen belongs
This is not difTlcult in cases where the
scientists have blazed the way and
printed descriptions are available.
But not infrequently a specimen is
sent in for which no such aid can be
sent In by the person desiring to know
found In such case much depends
on the accuracy OF the description
the plants identity. For example, 4
| specimen was received from Caltor-
MIA The botanists soon discovered
that 1t was from Il rare plant. They
had little TO go by In the way OF print
ed matter The sender stated that
the leaf which he sent In came from
a fruit-besring tree. He gave the color
of the blossom but did not enclose
one. After long search the botaniSts
were obliged to give Ap temporarily
and await the receipt OLA blossom the
| following season When it WAS re-
ceiveI It was nothing like the original
description The Identity OF the tree
was established without much further
trouble.
Mi Wright and his associates are
not asking that readers oil the paper
send in samples of an back yard weed
or any plant whatsoever from Idle Gu
rioSlty When 4 specimen Is sent i'll
they want it to be as nearly perfect as
possible IL this respect persons de.
string TO know the identity of plants
can largely cooperate with the gov.
ernment experts Every perfect specl-
men. no matter how common il may
be. after Identification has been estab-
I liehed. becomes part of permanent
exhibit for scientific purposes.
The office of plant identification has
an extensive library containing thou
sands of volumes To know these
books we'll Ia to have at the tongues
end OF within easy reach the estab.
lished and authenticated plant life OF
! many countries and geographic dlyis-
| ions