The botany of crop plants; a text and reference book details from bookadda

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1917 edition. Excerpt: ...of the Middle West. Charlock has long, knotted pods with stout beaks, while the pods of black mustard are short, four-angled, and with short beaks. The pods of white mustard are somewhat bristly. Charlock, black mustard and white mustard are propagated by seeds. In their eradication, no attention needs to be directed toward the starving out of rootstocks, which are so typical of perennial weeds. Every effort is made to prevent them from going to seed. Much success has attended the use of chemical herbicides, chiefly iron sulfate, in eradicating the mustards from grain fields. All grasses are resistant to injury from this spray, but the young mustards, and many other weeds, are quite easily killed by it. This is due to the fact that the spray does not adhere so readily to the smooth grass leaves as to the mustard leaves; moreover, although the tips of grass leaves are injured, the growing tissue at the leaf base may not be touched by the spray, and hence the recovery is rapid. Related Species.--It is closely related to the white mustard which is described hereinafter, and to Chinese or Indian mustard (Brassicajuncea). The latter is adventive from Asia in this country, often a bad weed, and sometimes its leaves are used for "greens." In the Indian mustard, the pods are i to 2 inches long, and some of the forms have leaves twice the size of those in the ordinary black or white mustards. The Japanese or pot-herb mustard Brassica japonica) is introduced into the United States. It has thin, soft leaves which are valued as "greens." Uses.--The plant is used mainly for garnishing, also in salads and in the preparation of meat dressings and sauces. Occasionally it is boiled like spinach. Table mustard is the ground seeds of black...