Show FARM AND AIND GARDEN MATTERS OP OF INTEREST TO agriculturists some bom up rp to date hint blots about rol cal ti of the soil and yields thereof horticulture viticulture and floriculture plague of foreign weeds it if we had bad only to contend with weeda native to this country the task would be a comparatively light one the weeds brought in from across the oceans have proved to be our greatest enemies and the most difficult to eradicate the change of 0 soil and climate has seemed in many instances to give them increased powers ot of living ind and developing where at home they receive little attention on account of 0 their little aggressiveness in their new habitat they spread and take possession of the earth to such an extent that it come sometimes times seems as it man mut mut be vanquished in his conflict with them in the list of 0 weeds ot of the united tates states published in the yearbook year book ot of 1895 species are ot of foreign origin of 0 these 61 are natives ot of europe and 30 have come to us through europe though they probably originated in asia two only ot of these came to us directly from asia from south america we have received about a dozen weeds most ot of which are as yet known only in our gulf states As the star ot of empire Is said to hold bold its way westward so also weeds seem to have a tendency to work westward more than eastward it Is a tact fact that the weeds passed from asia to europe and from europe to america and biorn aiom america across the pacific to new zealand and australia less than halt a dozen american weeds have become troublesome in europe which Is very remarkable considering the tact fact ot of our constant shipments ot of grain to europe only three or tour four species from west ot of the mississippi have become distributed tri buted through the eastern states and only one or two have entered the country from the pacific coast this may be due to a number at 0 causes the greatest would seen seem to be the extension westward of 0 cultivated areas the newly cultivated lands may prove more susceptible to seizure by the weeds than the lands that have been tilled tor for centuries and ages another cause may be the poor cleaning ot of seed from europe due to their possession at 0 poorer machinery and the fact that in the advance line of agriculture machinery tor for cleansing Is so generally possessed that the seed sent to europe contains few weed seeds A third reason may be that there Is found less waste ground in ELi elirose rope than in america on which the weeds can get a foothold we must however admit that these reasons do not entirely satisfy us as to the causes of so general a westward movement of weeds |