Show Wf rw A WORRISOME WEED it ie an annual plant but hard tc get rid of the common name Is chicks eed the botanical name Is alaene media in briton and browns illustrated flora but in gray s manual it Is media it Is a pernicious weed but so often neglected and omit led from lists of troublesome weeds probably because of its small size and inability to prove very destructive to larger cultivated plants it Is an an nual plant and in theory annual plants can be exterminated in one season by preventing them from producing a crop of seeds by which to perpetuate themselves in the case of this plant however the theory Is not easily applied saya country gentleman because of the peculiar characters of the pest it Is very hardy rapid in its develop ment tenacious of life persistent and quite unobtrusive and harmless in ap chickweed bearance pe arance late or autumnal seed lings live through the winter and in regions of mild open winters they begin to flower and mature seeds even in february or march before we are likely to think they need attention the sample sent has a few dry empty seed vessels on it others are yet green and unopened there are also flowers and unopened buds so that seed production may yet continue a long time in plants of the same age as this sample indeed seed production may continue till freezing weather stops it in november or december it the plants are dug up or plowed out and left on the ground they are likely to renew their growth unless they are put in piles and destroyed or unless a prolonged period of dry hot weather should deprive them of life plowing infested fields in fall and seeding with rye or winter wheat may help keep it in check or plowing early in spring and planting with some crop which shall receive frequent and thor ough cultivation will not only destroy the young seedlings that may spring up but will check seed production in the older plants spraying with a alon of sulphate of iron or copperas one and one half to two pounds to a gallon of water has been used with success in subduing this weed it should be applied in dry clear weather |