85 



should be of 2% strength, that is, 8 or 10 pounds of blue-stone should be 

 dissolved in 40 gallons of water. The green vitriol solution requires to be 

 of a 20% strength, i.e., from 80 to 100 lbs. in 40 gallons of water. As blue- 

 stone costs about 8 cents per lb. and green vitriol about ^ of a cent per lb. 

 there is practical!}^ no difference as to the cost of the applications. The 

 mustard plants should be sprayed on a clear day while they are young or 

 are just coming into bloom. 



Toad-Flax (Linaria vulgaris L.) also called Butter-and-Eggs. 



This weed is prevalent on the Island of Montreal and throughout the 

 Eastern Townships. It is a perennial with deep rootstocks and is a difficult 

 weed to eradicate from meadows and roadsides. The plants should be cut 

 at intervals, to prevent seeding, and the formation of leaves. 



To rid land infested with toad-flax it is necessary to plough it and to 

 give it such cultivation as will prevent the development of leaves and the 

 making of starch. By such means the underground root-stocks are grad- 

 ually starved. A short rotation with a root crop is probably as effective a 

 method as possible to adopt. 



Chicory (Cichorium Intybus L.). 



This plant is becoming very abundant in Quebec, not only in pastures 

 but also in grain crops such as barley and oats. It has a deep perennial 

 tap root which is difficult to eradicate, and blue flowers similar in shape 

 to those of the dandelion. In pastures and on roadsides this weed may be 

 kept in check by spudding the roots well below the crown. In cultivated 

 fields that are badly infested a short rotation, such as that suggested for 

 the ox-ej^e-daisy, will be required to subdue it. 



