WixiFRED E. Brexchlky 23 



ap., and from 6 to 41 with Atriplex puiula, but with two single excep- 

 tions in the case of Veronica agrestis and Brassica sp. each of the main 

 seedlings appeared from every one of the eight sampled holes in greater 

 or less (juantity. This shows that these species must have been very 

 abundant in the field at the time of grassing down and also that the dis- 

 tribution was widespread and not localised in particular areas, as the 

 sampled holes were taken from widely separated parts of the field and 

 were not huddled together in one place. Brassica was well distributed, 

 but the seedlings were not very plentiful in comparison to the other main 

 species. The remaining less plentiful species all occurred as isolated 

 individuals, indicating that they were either very local in distribution, 

 or else that the seeds were less resistant to burial and had nearly all 

 succumbed during the 10 years under grass. Information on these 

 points was sought from the field itself during the first year after the land 

 was ploughed. Ploughing took place in the autumn of 1915 and the weeds 

 were examined in the following February, when the situation was as 

 follows with regard to arable seedlings : 



Veronica Tournefortii j 



„ hcderaefolia e plentiful 

 Brassica sp. J 



Papaver sp., especially plentiful at one end of area 

 Veronica, probably agrestis 1 

 Sonchus asper .- occasional 



Senecio vulgaris J 



Matricaria inodora | 

 Veronica arvensis .- scarce 

 Scandix Pecten ) 



In addition to the jjurel)' arable weeds the following were in evidence : 



Rumex crispus, frequent 



Stellaria media ) . , 



_ , - occasional 



Kanunculus repens J 



Senecio Jacobaea 



Lamium purpureum 



Chrysanthemum leucanthemum 



Taraxacum vulgare 



Capsella Bursa-pastoris 



Convolvulus arvensis 



Trifoliura repens 



C'eutaurea nigra (not seedlings) 



It thus appears that during the winter months immediately succeeding 

 the ploughing four of the species that appeared most plentifully from the 

 seeds buried in the soil samples came up in quantity on the field and two 

 other of the main species were present in less amount. It is impossible 



