WEEDS are plants growing where are not desired. There are no plants whiri are weeds, per se, since in nature each plant has its place, and since in cultivated areas any plant, useless or useful, may become a weed Thus grass would be considered a weed in a bed of garlic, and vice-versa. Many plants, however, are popularly dubbed weeds because they are troublesome in fields and gardens, but even among these are not a few which are culti vated; for instance, purslane, lamb's quarters and sorrel. Far from being the useless and obnoxious things that they have long been re puted to be, weeds have performed a distinct service, which they still continue, in agricul ture; they have compelled the husbandman to practise clean cultivation, upon which the suc cess of his crops very largely depends.
Weeds often must be eradicated upon land that has become foul under neglect. Upon pas tures and lawns that commence to fail the two principal ways of management are to make more grass grow or to plow the land and grow some other crop upon it for a year or more The former is usually more feasible with lawns; the latter with meadows and pastures. Often a reseeding to grass will be sufficient. The plantain, dandelion and similar weeds trout le some in lawns may be cut out individually. but to keep them out the growth of grass must be encouraged by sowing extra seed and by fertil ising. In land that has lain fallow the annual needs may be destroyed by frequent cultivation; biennial and perennial weeds, by short rota tions of crops, especially such as include inter tillage crops, like potatoes, beans and turnips. The one necessity to observe in combating per ennial weeds is to prevent their forming leaves and thus elaborating food In low grounds where sedges, rushes and bracken often abound the land may be rid of these weeds In gardens many weeds may be by growing leafy crops which will shade the ground_ Ground which is kept free from weeds in the early months may become choked with weeds toward autumn and these may reseed the ground for the following year. Mowing be
fore the plants blossom, or plowing the ground are often practised. In some cases, however, the plants may be allowed to remain as a cover crop to present the washing of the soil during winter. This practice is most common in or chards. A cover crop sown by the orchardist is preferable_ Besides the usual means of seed chspersal such as wind and water, weeds are frequeuttv by means of haled hay, manure_ and imperfectly cleaned seeds of the crops sown This last is particularly prevalent with such difficulty cleaned seeds as grass and (-kiwi Hence the advisability of purchasing only the best seeds. It is not remarkable that many of the most troublesome weeds are imported from foreign countries, because being removed from their natural controls they find less resistance and spread accordingly.
Weeds are often of service in aiding the farmer to judge the needs of his land, since many kinds grow only where the conditions are peculiarly adapted to them. The character of their growth also indicates the quality of the sail. Wild carrot and the ox-eye daisy only upon poor soils, or soils that have grow robbed of their fertility. Sheep sorrel indicates acid land and the necessity of applying lime to the soil. Bracken, sedge and moss show that the land needs drainage. Dark green foliage and large size of plant and leaf are indications of abundant nitrogenous plant Toil is the soil; and yellowish foliage and sparse, stringy growth shows lack of this material.