Part 1 (1/2)

Seeds of Michigan Weeds.

by W. J. (William James) Beal.

SUB-STATIONS.

Chatham, Alger County, 160 acres deeded--Leo M. Geismar in charge.

Grayling, Crawford County, 80 acres deeded.

South Haven, Van Buren County, 10 acres rented; 5 acres deeded--Frank A. Wilkin in charge.

The designer of this bulletin first had in mind something of the sort for the use of his students, not only the undergraduates, but others living on farms, or teaching in Michigan and elsewhere. Whoever grows seeds to sell, or buys seeds to sow, should be benefited by consulting the ill.u.s.trations which are unsurpa.s.sed for accuracy by anything in this country. They were all made by Mr. F. H. Hillman. A hand lens costing from twenty cents to a dollar is almost indispensable in examining our seeds. The brief descriptions are necessarily made by using definite scientific terms, which are explained in a glossary at the close of the work. A few weeds are not ill.u.s.trated, for the reason that the plants have ceased to produce seeds, such as the horse radish, and some of them are not conspicuously bad. Not far from half the ill.u.s.trations are made from small seed-like fruits, likely to be mistaken for seeds, such as are produced by dandelions, burdocks, narrow-leaved dock, all gra.s.ses.

Cuts of seeds of several clovers are inserted that students may learn to distinguished them from weeds too often mixed with them.

No apology is offered for making use of the decimal scale instead of the c.u.mbersome antiquated English scale, which fortunately is gradually growing out of use. In the back part of the bulletin are duplicate copies of the decimal scale that any one can cut out and use for measuring.

For copies of the following figures some time ago prepared by Mr.

Hillman, we are indebted to the authorities of the Agricultural College, of Reno, Nevada: 7, 11, 12, 16, 17, 23, 24, 31, 32, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42, 44, 46, 55, 56, 58, 63, 68, 69, 71, 74, 75, 84, 86, 87, 91, 92, 95, 97, 98, 99, 108, 110, 116, 125, 130, 135, 138, 140, 144, 146, 152, 153, 158, 159, 172, 173, 174, 175, 178, 179, 181, 182, 185, 187, 189, 190, 191, 199, 203, 205, 212, 214, 215.

”A weed is any useless or troublesome plant.”

”A plant out of place or growing where it is not wanted.”

”Tobacco.”

”A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.”--Emerson.

Weeds everywhere; they thrive in the cornfield, they choke wheat in the field, they annoy the gardner, they thrive in the meadow, they spring up by the roadside, they encroach on the swamp, they damage the fleeces of sheep. The rapid increase in the number and variety of weeds should cause alarm.

DISADVANTAGES OF WEEDS.

1. They rob cultivated plants of nutriment.

2. They injure crops by crowding and shading.

3. They r.e.t.a.r.d the work of harvesting grain by increasing the draft and by extra wear of machinery. (Bindweed, thistles, red root.)

4. They r.e.t.a.r.d the drying of grain and hay.

5. They increase the labor of thres.h.i.+ng, and make cleaning of seed difficult.

6. They damage the quality of flour, sometimes making it nearly worthless. (Allium vineale L.)

7. Most of them are of little value as food for domestic animals.

8. Some weeds injure stock by means of barbed awns. (Squirrel tail gra.s.s, wild oats, porcupine gra.s.s.)

9. Some of them injure wool and disfigure the tails of cattle, the manes and tails of horses. (Burdock, c.o.c.klebur, houndstongue.)

10. A few make ”Hair b.a.l.l.s” in the stomachs of horses. (Rabbit-foot clover, crimson clover.)