P U B L I S H ED  IN  F E B R U A R Y,  MARCH.  APRIL,  AUGUST  A ND  SEPTEMBER  BY 

O.  M.  SCOTT  8t  SONS  CO.  MARYSVILLE,  OHIO 

Seventh  Year 

Number  28 

SEDGE-NOT  A  GRASS 

is  more 

ful  screening,  will 
r e s u lt  in  coarse 
g r o w t h,  marring 
the  beauty  of  an 
o t h e r w i se  good 
lawn. 
Important  Species 
W h i le  we  are 
selecting  the  vari-
ety  k n o wn 
as 
Chufa  or  Cyperus 
esculentus 
for  pur-
poses  of  g e n e r al 
discussion  because 
it 
fre-
quently  found 
in 
lawns,  there  are 
several  other  spe-
cies  worthy  of 
m e n t i o n.  N u t-
(C.-rotun-
g r a ss 
dus) 
is  more  com-
monly 
in 
t he  s o u t h,  al-
though 
it  often 
gets  as  far  north 
as  N ew 
Jersey. 
Another  Sedge  of 
which  a  number 
of specimens come 
to  us  for  identifi-
:  Low  Galingale, 
cation  each  year 
C.-diandrus. 
It is quite  similar  to  Chufa 
in  appearance  and  soil  preference,  but 
is  an  annual.  It  is  not  as  aggressive  as 
the  other  types.  Another  annual  Sedge 
is  Kyllinga 
named  for  Peder 
Kylling,  a  Danish  botanist  of  the  17th 

pumila, 

found 

C O P Y R I G HT   BY  O.  M.  SCOTT  &  S O NS  CO. 

THE 

three 

f a m i ly 

S e d ge 
(Cy-
peracea) 
is  a  large 
and  thriving  one. 
There 
are  prob-
ably 
thou-
sand  species  scat-
tered  all  over  the 
world.  They 
re-
semble  grasses  as 
well  as  rushes,  yet 
s e p a r a te 
a re  a 
f a m i ly 
in  them-
selves.  A  common 
identifying feature 
of  most  S e d g es 
three-
is 
their 
cornered 
a nd 
three -sided  stem 
w i th  no 
joints. 
These 
stems  are 
angled  and  solid, 
not 
and 
hollow 
like  grass 
stems. 

round 

Generally  speak-
ing  the  Sedges  are 
i n c l i n ed  to  pre-
fer  a  moist  soil. 
Marshes  and  wet 
l a n ds  and  other 
waste  areas  recently  drained  are  fre- 
quently  headquarters  for  various  mem-
bers  of  this  family.  When  soil  from 
these  low  spots  is  used  in  the  construc-
tion  of  a  lawn  it  will 
likely  contain 
tubers  or  root  stalks  which  will  sprout. 
Such  roots,  if  not  removed  first by  care-

Sedge  (Cyperus  esculentus) 

century.  As  with  other  annual  weeds, 
the  annual  Sedges  may  be  controlled  by 
preventing  seed  production  and 
im-
proving  soil  fertility. 
Commonly  found 

in  none-too-well-
cleaned  Kentucky  Bluegrass  is  another 
type  of  Sedge  belonging  to  the  genus 
Carex.  There  are  at  least  185  species  in 
this  group.  Muhlenberg's  Sedge 
(Carex 
Muhlenbergii) 
is  its  complete  name.  It 
is  not  particularly  objectionable 
in 
lawns  and  as  a  forage  crop  is  of  some 
value  in  the  south. 

Spreads  By  Rootstalks 

Most  likely  to  be  troublesome  in  a 
lawn  is  the  type  of  Sedge  with  under-
ground  root  stalks.  Such  a  weed 
is 
Chufa  or  Yellow  Nut-grass.  Chufa  is 
also  known  by  many  other  names  in 
different  sections  of  the  country.  Some 
of  these  names  are  Nut  Sedge,  North-
ern  Nut  Grass,  Coco  Nut,  Rush  Nui, 
Earth  Almond  and  Edible  Galingale. 
To  be  specific  its  name  Cyperus 
escu-
lentus,  means  edible  nut  sedge.  It  is  a 
hardy  perennial  that  bears  edible  tubers 
having  a  flavor  very  similar  to  that  of 
the  almond. 

stems 

tubers  and 

This  type  of  Sedge  seldom  produces 
almost  entirely  on 
seed,  depending 
underground 
for 
propagation.  In  common  with  most  of 
the  other  Sedges,  Chufa  is  very  grass-
like  in  appearance.  It is yellowish  green 
in  color.  The  scaly  underground  stems 
bear  small  fleshy  tubers  which  send  up 
new  stems  at  close  intervals. 

Method  of  Control 

Like  Quack  Grass  and  Canada  This-
tle  the  stems  and  underground  tubers 
of  Sedge  must  be  starved  out.  There  is 
a  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  success 
to  be  had  in  ridding  a  lawn  of  Sedge 

by  simply  providing  better  drainage, 
moist  soil  being  regarded  as the  favored 
spot  for  this  weed.  The  Ohio  Experi-
ment  Station  believes  that  drainage  is 
not  enough,  although  this  is  important 
if  final  eradication  is  to  be  achieved. 
The  individual  plants  must  be  pulled 
out  when  the  ground 
is  soft,  special 
care  being  taken  to  get  as  much  of  the 
underground  stem  as  can  be  removed. 
If  a  new  plot  of  ground  to  be  put  into 
lawn 
the 
Yellow  Nut-grass  type,  by  all  means  let 
it  lie  fallow  through  the  summer  and 
cultivate  it  periodically  to  remove  the 
rootstalks. 

infested  with  Sedge  of 

is 

Dandelions  CEeaned 

Another  dandelion  story  was 

torn 
from  the  house  organ  of  the  General 
Electric  Company  by  Mr.  Charles  S. 
Ruffner,  a  customer  at  Schenectady, 
New  York.  It  reads  as  follows: 

"G.  C.  Adams  in  the  Central  District 
G.  E.  office  at  Chicago  believes  he  has 
solved  the  dandelion  problem  with  his 
G.  E.  vacuum  cleaner.  He  works  on 
the  assumption  that  if  the  dandelions 
can  be  prevented  from  seeding,  the  day 
will  be  saved.  Taking  his  cleaner  into 
the  yard  he  attaches  a  long  extension 
cord.  He  then  attaches  the  tube  and 
the  head  for  cleaning  upholstery.  Start-
ing  the  motor  he  drops  the  head  over 
the  nearest  patch  of  white  blossoms  and 
they  disappear  like  magic.  When  he  has 
covered  the  area  within  reach  of  the 
hose  he  moves  the  cleaner,  repeating 
the  operation  and  soon  all  the  blossoms 
are  gone.  Then  he  is  free to  dig  or  dose 
the  plants  themselves." 

Dandelion  killing  experiences 

are 
becoming  most  intriguing.  Are  there 
others? 

O.  M.  SCOTT  &  SONS  CO. 

MAR Y S V I L LE 

•  •  O H IO 

EVERY  PACKAGE  OF  SCOTTS  LAWN  SEED  BEARS  THIS  TRADE-MARK  AND  IS  SEALED  FOR  YOUR  PROTECTION 

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