PUBLISHED  IN  FEBRUARY,  MARCH,  APRIL,  AUGUST  AND  SEPTEMBER  BY 

O.  M.  SCOTT  &  SONS  CO..  MARYSVILLE,  OHIO 

Ninth  Year 

Number  40 

H E N B iT 

Means  of  Control 

Hand  pulling  before 

the  bloom 
periods  of  early  spring  and  autumn  is 

COPYRIGHT  BY  O.  M.  SCOTT  &  S O NS  CO. 

in 

WE  ARE  introducing  here  a  weed 

which  hardly  gets  its  share  of 
slander  because  too  few  people  know 
it  by  name.  While  not 
as  common  as  many  of 
the  f a m i l i ar  garden 
pests,  Henbit  bobs  up 
f r e q u e n t ly 
in  nearly 
every  section  of  the 
country.  Many  speci-
mens  are  sent 
for 
identification  each  vear. 
With  Eurasia  lies  the 
responsibility  for 
intro-
ducing 
into 
America.  The  origin  of 
its name is more  obscure. 
We  can  find  no  clue  of 
association  with  poultry 
such  as  Quack  Grass 
boasts. 
is  probably 
better  known  as  Blind 
Nettle,  Dead  Nettle,  or 
Bee  Nettle,  and  is  a  fre-
quent  visitor  in  lawns, 
gardens  and  waste  places,  especially 
where  the  soil  is  rich  and  damp. 

this  weed 

(Lamium 

It 

in 

length 

In  full  growth  the  stems  are  six  to 
eight  inches  long.  They  seldom  exceed 
the  smaller 
lawns  where 
growth  is  retarded  by  mowing  and  the 
competition  of  other  vegetation.  The 
branching 
lower  base  and 
lower  axils  is  a  characteristic  that  aids 
in  identification.  Like  other  members 
of  the  mint  family,  the  stems  of  Henbit 
are  four-sided  or  somewhat  square  in 

from 

its 

simplifies 

shape.  This 

identification. 
The  rounded,  deeply  scalloped  leaves 
are  sparsely  hairy  and  arrange  them-
selves  on  opposite  sides 
of  the  stems.  Near  the 
base  of  the  plant  they 
have  short 
leaf-stems 
but  the  upper  ones  are 
tightly  clasping.  The 
small  red  or  purplish 
flowers  grow  in  clusters 
at  both  the  terminals 
and  where 
leaves 
join 
the  stems.  Their 
nectar frequently  attracts 
honey  bees,  a fact  which 
accounts  for  the  name 
of  Bee  Nettle. 

the 

seeds 

Henbit  flourishes  best 
in  cool  weather,  devel-
oping 
in  early 
spring.  With  the  heat  of 
summer  it  usually  dies 
down  but  revives  with 
the  advent  of  cool  fall 
temperatures  and  immediately  proceeds 
to  infest  the  soil  with  a  second  abun-
dant  sowing  of  seed.  These  seeds  pro-
duce  the  plants  that  appear  the  follow-
ing  spring.  Suitable  weather  conditions 
or  some  slight  disturbance  such  as  rak-
ing  may  start  the  germination  of  seeds 
which  have  lain  dormant  but  neverthe-
less  viable  for  many  years. 

H E N B IT 

amplexicaule) 

the  most  effective  means  of  ridding  a 
lawn  of  this  pest.  Close  mowing  as  in 
the  case  of  most  annuals  will  prevent 
seed  production  and  eventually  clear 
the  soil  of  previously  deposited  seeds. 
Where  clover  is  not  considered  objec-
tionable,  a  heavy  seeding  of  it  will  often 
smother  out  a 
flourishing  patch  of 
Henbit. 

O 

Rector's  Cat  Proves 
Good  Mole  Destroyer 

We  received  recently  from  Rev.  Syl-
vester  P.  Robertson  of  St.  Andrews 
Episcopal  Church,  Aberdeen,  Washing-
ton,  the  following  letter: 

"I  am  the  user  of  your  lawn  seed  in 
a  small  way  and  my  friends  are  sur-
prised  when  they  visit  me  for  the  first 
time  and  see  my  lawn. 

"I  have  religiously  read  your  L A WN 
C A RE  for  the  past  six  years  and  this,  as 
well  as your  excellent  seed,  has  much  to 
do  with  the  fine  appearance  of  my  turf. 
"But  what  prompts  me  to  write  to 
you  at  this  time,  is  the  fact  that  yester-
day  I  lost  the  best  mole  destroyer  ever 
invented—our  old  tabby  cat  "Calico." 
This  cat  and  a  kitten  of  hers  have  kept 
my  once  badly  mole-infested  lawn  free 
from  them  for  over  three  years.  The 
two  cats 
together  have  caught  and 
brought  to  the  doorstep  literally  dozens 
of  moles.  They  long  since  rid  my  lawn 
of  the  pests  and  for  the  last  two  years 
have  been  bringing  them  in  from  the 
adjacent  wild 
lawns.  But  a  passing 
automobile  struck  and  killed  old Calico. 
I  have  never  seen  cats  mentioned  as 
mole  eradicators  and  thought  you  and 
your  readers  might  be  interested." 

Home-Made  Weed  Killer 
"I  want  to  thank  you  for  the  papers 
on  L A WN  C A RE  and 
I  notice  some 
articles  on  ridding  lawns  of  Dandelion 
and  Buckhorn  so  I  will  explain  how  I 
rid  my  lawn  of  these  pesky  things. 

"I  took  a  piece  of  %  inch  galvanized 
pipe  about  30  inches  long  and  threaded 
both  ends  and  placed  a regular  pipe  cap 
on  each  end.  Drill  a  small  hole  in  pipe 
near  one  end  as a vent,  in  the  other  pipe 
cap  drill  a  hole  to  fit  the  stem  of  an  old 
inner  tube,  place  a  small  gasket  on  top 
and  bottom  of  cap  and  screw  down 
with  the  regular  nuts  found  on  inner 
tubes.  Grind  off  about 
l/2  inch  of  the 
end  of  valve  stem  in  order  to  let  the 
small  needle  air  release  stem  extend  out 
of  end  of  valve  stem,  and  then  fill  the 
pipe  with  gasoline  and  it  is  ready  for 
action.  It  is  an  easy  way  to  walk  over 
your  lawn  using  this  instrument  as  a 
cane  and  every  time  it  is  placed  on  the 
top  of  the  plant  with  just  a  slight  touch 
the  valve  releases  just  a  drop  or  if  more 
pressure  and  time  it  will  release  a  quan-
tity  of  gasoline  into  the  hearts  of  the 
weeds.  In  a  day  or  two,  examine  the 
plants  treated  and  I  have  found  very 
stubborn  Buckhorn  Plantain  roots  that 
were  down  in  the  ground  six  or  eight 
inches  on 
third  day  black  and 
decayed."—Chas.  C.  Dawson,  Coshoc-
ton,  Ohio. 

the 

Don't  Forget 
that  L A WN  C A RE  is  published  five  times 
in  February,  March,  April, 
y e a r l y, 
August  and  September.  Some 
folks 
write  that  a  bulletin  has  been  missed 
but  usually  it  is  because  the  months  of 
issue  have  been  forgotten. 

O.  M.  SCOTT  &  SONS  CO. 

MAR Y S V I L LE  •  •  OHIO 

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

40  a