CHAPTER XLVIII

SOME WAYS TO RID OF WEEDS

“FOUR-THIRTY!” exclaimed Jack, “and we have only until five o’clock.”

“My, you’ll have to talk fast,” said Bouncing Bet, “in order to tell all you want to.”

“One quarter of all I want to, you mean, Bet,” Jack replied.

“I’m afraid my brother and father and mother will come look for us,” said Mary Frances.

“No,” Bet shook her head, “not until five o’clock.”

“I suppose fairies know,” Eleanor whispered.

Jack began to talk rapidly:

WEEDS

To the little plant baby which you love and wish to grow, weeds are like terribly hungry beasts who steal their food, and choke them to death, and say:

“Get out of here! I’m a piggy-wig, and I want everything myself!”

So unless you want your favorite plants to die, you will kill the weeds in your garden.

Even if some of your plants do live through the fight, they are weak and poor from the lack of food, and the hard work they have been through.

Someone has said that weeds are plants that are not wanted, and people often find that the less they are wanted, the harder it is to get rid of them.

You see, most weeds have grown in spite of everything, and have accommodated themselves to such unpleasant surroundings that when they find themselves in splendid surroundings, as in your garden soil, they begin to grow ‘with a vengeance.’”

“I know!” Mary Frances laughed.

“Well, we fairy folk want to help you as much as possible with your garden. I am going to tell you about—

SOME WAYS TO RID OF WEEDS

Of course, one of the best ways is to pull the weeds, never allowing them to go to seed. That’s best for annual kinds.

But the perennial kind must have the roots destroyed, so deep digging or ploughing in the Fall is a great help.

Cleaning off the growth and burning it in the Fall kills many seeds which might “winter over,” and come up in the Spring.

Salt is often used to kill grass in paths and garden walks.

Some of the commonest weeds found in the garden are—

_Lamb’s-quarters_, or _Pigweed_, which is usually very unwelcome in the garden, but which some people use for “greens.”

_Roman Wormwood_, or _Hogweed_, which, from its name, you can see is troublesome everywhere.

_Beggar-ticks_, or _Stick tights_.

I guess you know them—

Their seed babies, I mean. Didn’t you get them all over your dresses and stockings one day in the woods?

_Smartweed_ and _Knotweed_ and _Lady’s Thumb_ all resemble each other in appearance.

_Plantain_ and _Rat Tails_ (Rib Grass, English Plantain) are cousins in the same family.

_Pepper Grass_ and _Shepherd’s Purse_ are cousins, too, and both belong to the Mustard family. You’ve often eaten pepper grass seeds, haven’t you?

_Field Laurel_, or _Sour Grass_, has leaves with a pleasantly sour flavor.

“Excuse me,” said Mary Frances, as Jack paused, “but you didn’t mention that if you ‘cultivate’ your garden, it will kill weeds.”

“I’m so glad you said that!” Jack replied. “It is the best way to keep weeds out of your garden; but I was speaking of where they had ‘gotten a start.’”

“They’re hard to pull sometimes,” remarked Eleanor. “I’ll tell you how I know. We have just the tiniest lawn, and father gives me an ice-cream cone for pulling five cents’ worth of weeds.”

“Isn’t that lovely of him!” Jack exclaimed.

“Sometimes,” he went on, “it is not only for the sake of the plants you want to have grow that you destroy the weeds, but to protect yourself. For instance, you wish to kill out all poisonous plants; such as—

POISON IVY

The leaves of poison ivy, if touched, will provoke a painful, poisonous rash on the skin of most people. This is caused by the irritating, acrid juice in the leaves. This juice probably protects the plant—for instance, no cattle will enjoy eating it.

Thousands of cases of ivy poison could be avoided if everyone knew the plant.

Remember, the poison ivy vine has three leaves on a stem, while its harmless and beautiful cousin, Virginia Creeper, which resembles it so much, has five leaves on a stem.

Jack stepped forward and showed the girls the difference in the leaves, just as they are pictured here.

They examined them carefully.

“I think I’ll never mistake poison ivy for that other plant,” said Eleanor.

“I hope not,” Bet chimed in, “for I am so fond of—

VIRGINIA CREEPER

This plant is a native of America, growing everywhere from Canada southward even to Cuba. It makes a charming decorative vine on wall and fence.

It will soon repay one for the trouble of carrying a root home from the woods, for it easily takes root in a new place, and everyone is delighted with its magnificent brilliant red foliage in the Autumn.

“That sounds like a book, Bet,” exclaimed Jack. “I think the most interesting thing about Virginia Creeper is the tiny hand-like ‘clingers’ with which it holds on to the wall or fence.”

“I was going to tell that, Mr. Jack,” Bet replied; “but, never mind, I want to tell about—

SOME WAYS IN WHICH PLANTS PROTECT THEMSELVES

You remember that I told you that the “velvet” fur of the great mullein keeps animals from eating the leaves?

Well, perhaps you’ve never thought of it, but the prickles of the rose and blackberry and the thorns of some trees prevent their being destroyed many and many a time.

“Indeed, I know,” laughed Mary Frances. “No one will ever see me try to pick a wild cactus!”

“Or nettles?” asked Jack, pretending to pick splinters from his hand.

“I hope your garden never has more weeds than we saw when we were over there in the moonlight last evening,” he went on.

“Why, were you in my garden?” Mary Frances was amazed.

“It looked splendid,” beamed Bet.

“We will come often,” Jack added, “and if we never see more weeds than last evening, you’ll be growing wonderful vegetables and flowers.”

“Feather Flop—” Mary Frances began, then she thought perhaps she’d better not mention the rooster.

“It’s about time to say good-bye,” Bet said, “but you need not feel sorry because we will—

Come in the moonlight To see how your garden grows.”