314 WEEDS OF ACRICDLTURE. 



decoys for catching wild ducks, will buy the seeds to feed 

 and entice the fowl. Pigs will do well on them, if boiled. 



As a weed, in fen soils, it is the most ramping and cum- 

 bersome of any weed that grows. Its seeds abound in the 

 soil, and increase by scattering from each crop, so that in 

 many cases, by spring cleaning, the whole surface is covered 

 with the plants ; these are usually ploughed down, and the 

 land sown upon the second earth ; but often as many more 

 appear, and very much injure the crop. In 1821, a piece of 

 loose, low land, in the newly enclosed fens of Peterborough, 

 was sown with oats and ray-grass ; but this weed usurped 

 the soil, and spoiled the crop. The next spring, when the 

 field should have been grass lay, these seeds again rose so 

 thick as to cover the field entirely, excepting a few patches. 

 The land had sheep put upon it to eat what grass there was, 

 and the crop of weeds was left to stand till autumn. During 

 a great deal of the summer, the sheep could not be easily 

 found in the cover : and when mown down, being then dead 

 and ripe, the swarths lay like peas and beans, sending forth 

 a strong and peculiarly bitter smell. This crop might sup- 

 ply the soil with a stock of seeds, at the rate of twelve 

 bushels to the acre. 



Of course this was not the way to destroy snake-weed, 

 or willow-weed ; but all fen soils contain a great deal of it : 

 when they come again from grass, to be pared and burned, 

 as much as lies to one inch and a half deep will be con- 

 sumed by the fire. Some will grow (with other weeds) in 

 the rape ; oats the second crop, at once ploughing, is gene- 

 rally a thick and quick growing or smothering crop ; not 

 many weeds can contend with this crop, and weeders may 

 easily subdue them. In autumn sow wheat on the oat stub- 

 ble, and in spring sow grass soon enough : roll well, and 

 weed well ; and if you have not destroyed much willow- 

 weed, you have done the next best thing, that is — hindered 

 it from growing. 



II. CHARLOCK. 



It scarcely deserves mentioning, that these seeds are found 

 m samples of corn at all, because a skreen will separate 



