ESSAYS 131 



The ordinary farm weeds can be turned to account in various ways, either 

 by using them as green manures or by burning them on the ground and scattering 

 the ashes. On sandy land bent grass {Agrostis sp.) is most abundant, and it is 

 the usual custom to scuffle it up into heaps and burn it there and then. Couch- 

 grass {Agropyrum repens) is sometimes treated in the same way, when it grows 

 in soil that is not too heavy to allow the rhizomes to be removed cleanly from the 

 ground. When large quantities of miscellaneous weeds are collected by the 

 harrow and it is not possible to burn them, they are often carted away and mixed 

 with lime, which rots them down into a useful compost. The carting needs 

 to be carefully done, in order that the seeds shall not be scattered about more 

 than is necessary, but under no circumstances should heaps of weeds be left lying 

 about without some attempt being made to destroy them, as it is in that way that 

 bad attacks of weeds are encouraged. 



If foul land is ploughed up and the weeds are thoroughly well buried they soon 

 decay and return their plant constituents to the soil. The texture of light land 

 can be considerably improved in this way, and it has been suggested that spurrey 

 may profitably be sown on sandy soil for this purpose, provided it is turned 

 in before the seeds are ripe. 1 Analyses have been made in Germany of some 

 of the commonest weeds, showing that they have considerable manurial value 

 as chickweed {Stellaria media) and fathen {Chenopodium album) each contain 

 about io - 9 per cent, of potash, while bindweed, sowthistle, and others are also 

 useful. 8 



6. Drugs. — Comparatively few of our native plants are of much commercial 

 value as drugs, but meadow saffron [Colehicum autumnale), hemlock (Conium 

 maculatum), poppy {Papaver sp.), deadly nightshade {Atropa belladonna), foxglove 

 {Digitalis purpurea), henbane {Hyoscyamus niger), and dandelion {Taraxacum 

 vulgare) are widely used, and are cultivated to supplement the supplies obtained 

 from the wild plants. The seeds of meadow saffron have been prescribed for 

 gout and rheumatism, 3 and the sedative alkaloid conine is obtained from hemlock 

 the green, unripe fruits containing the largest proportion of the drug. Poppies 

 have been valued for their narcotic properties from very early clays, as they were 

 used in medicine even in the time of Theophrastus {circa 322 B.C.). More 

 recently the field poppy has been chiefly valued for a fine red substance obtained 

 from the petals, which is used as a colouring matter in pharmacy. 4 During the 

 war it has been difficult or impossible to obtain adequate supplies of many drugs 

 that are usually imported, and a considerable impetus has been given both to 

 herb-growing and to the collection of medicinal wild plants. For the latter work 

 the school children have been organised in many parts of the country, and 

 considerable supplies have been thus obtained. 



The bark of alder buckthorn {R/iamnus franguld) has recently been used in 

 Austria to provide substitutes for a whole series of drugs that were hitherto 

 imported, and in various places iodine, bromine and other medicinal preparations 

 have been extracted from seaweed. The root of broad dock {Rumex obtusifolius) 

 is very astringent and can be used in the same way as the powder or tincture of 

 Turkey Rhubarb, 5 while if powdered it is said to make an excellent dentifrice. 6 



1 Set/oum. Board Agric. vol. xviii. pp. 1020-24. 



* Kling, M., Landw. Versuchs. vol. lxxxv. pp. 433-70. See Journ, Bo 

 Agric. xxii. pp. 362-3. 



3 Fluckiger and Banbury, Pharmacographia : A History of Drugs, 1874. 



* Fluckiger and Hanbury, ibid. 



i 



Wilson, ibid. 6 Pratt, A., ibid. 



