134 JOTTINGS OF A GENTLEMAN GARDENER 



weeds. The most plentiful is the coltsfoot. Next in 

 order is the wild feverfew, then thistles, stinking groundsel, 

 and twitch, besides others. 



Some Garden Weeds : One of the worst weeds to deal 

 with is the Dandelion. It spreads extremely rapidly by 

 seed, for a single plant can ripen thousands of seeds in 

 one season, and the seeds are carried by the winds in all 

 directions. 



Another weed of remarkable vigour is the Stinking 

 Groundsel, found wherever there is rough pasture. It 

 varies in height from 6 ins. to 2 A ft. It grows rapidly 

 in gardens and should be got rid of at an early stage. It 

 produces quantities of seed which are blown all over the 

 place. 



The Common Groundsel is also a bad weed. Groundsel 

 plants before they have seeded are useful for making 

 vegetable humus (see Chapter XXVII). 



Shepherd's Purse is another bad weed, which sends 

 down a long tap-root, and is a weed of wide distribution 

 and variable size. It seeds very rapidly, especially 

 towards the end of the season, and, if left alone, will 

 throw up flower stems 12 ins. long, and several to a plant. 

 More frequently, however, it seeds in a dwarf state, 

 throwing up only one stem. 



We are not much troubled with either Stinging Nettles 

 or Dead Nettle in this garden, but they spread rapidly 

 in a light sandy soil. They are a sign, however, that the 

 soil is fairly good. 



Thistles are also very bad weeds, seeding rapidly. They 

 usually indicate that the soil is poor, for they grow freely 

 on waste land. 



Charlock has yellow flowers and leaves somewhat like 

 the turnip. It grows and spreads rapidly. 



A weed which is remarkably difficult to eradicate is 

 the Climbing Bindweed. It is a member of the con- 

 volvulus family, and spreads out a number of thin roots 

 all of which will make new plants. The pink sort which 

 is common in Pembrokeshire is indeed rather pretty, but 



