The Library of Work and Play: Gardening and Farming.Shaw, Ellen Eddy
General
The Library of Work and Play: Gardening and Farming.
Shaw, Ellen Eddy
Gardening -- Juvenile literature
"The biennials and perennials must have further treatment than just that
of preventing seed formation. The underground part of such weeds must be
destroyed. For these live in the ground ready to come up again.
Biennials may be killed out by deep hoeing. Get rid of all the young
plants, keep at the older ones with the hoe and prevent seed formation,
too. Biennials are found most abundantly in waste places along woodsides
and where the soil for a long time has been left undisturbed.
"Perennials need about the same treatment as biennials. But even greater
persistency should be exercised in destroying the underground portion.
For these underground plants produce new plants as surely as seeds do.
The bindweed has a creeping root, wild garlic has a bulb, and such forms
are always producing new forms underground while the seed above the
ground is able to do the same thing.
"Ploughing helps destroy perennials, as the roots are exposed to direct
sunlight and so destroyed. Another method of treatment is that of
cutting off the top down to the root and putting salt on the freshly cut
root tap. Then again these roots may be starved out by never allowing
the top or leafy part to form. You will remember that it is the leaf
which makes the food. And if there is no food then there will be none to
store away in the root for new root formation. Some farmers smother
roots. This is done by planting such crops as hemp, clover or cowpeas.
These crops choke out the weeds. They cover the ground very completely,
and so the weeds have less of a chance.
"I give the following table of a few very common weeds in order that you
may know just how to handle them.
"I must speak especially about snapdragon or butter and eggs. It came to
our country as a garden flower. It has spread and spread, partly by its
seeds and partly by its root stalks, which are creeping ones, and now it
is a perennial weed. For since it has become a nuisance it must be
classed as a weed. As it spreads along it tends to force out other
plants.
"This weed, like the wild carrot, is really very lovely. Could such
weeds be properly held down in small garden areas they would be very
ornamental. I saw a little flower garden once, quite beautiful, with two
small clumps, one of wild mustard and one of field daisy, among the
other flowers.
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COMMON NAME CLASS SEED TIME COLOUR OF
FLOWER
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Burdock Biennial Aug.-Oct. Purple
Bur-marigold or Annual July-Nov. Yellow
beggar ticks
Canada thistle Perennial " " "
Chickweed Annual Mar.-July White
Cocklebur " July-Oct. Green
Dandelion Perennial May-Oct. Yellow
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