110 



THE WEEDS OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



this thistle. He first discovered a plant or two on his property, and had 

 them cut down. Next year there were four thistles, which were carefully 

 eradicated. The following year there were a great many; these were cut 

 down, and the year after their number was so great that repressive measures 

 were discontinued. In a few years they died down naturally, and have 

 since given no trouble. This is not an age of miracles, and the thistles 

 spread, either because the men carelessly allowed them to seed, or because 

 seed blew in from infected paddocks. This thistle may be eradicated from 

 any paddock in one or two seasons by hard work directed by intelligence, 

 but the circumstance remains that clean land may be readily infected by 

 seeds blown over from dirty land in the neighbourhood. I have dealt with 

 this aspect of the question elsewhere, and need not repeat myself here. The 

 key to such problems is that this weed only dies out on a large scale pro- 

 vided the rains do not reach it at a critical time, e.g., for germinating the 

 seed, for stimulating it into flower or seed. Although land owners are 

 sometimes lenient to this weed, because it dies out of itself after a term, 

 and its leaves have some manurial value, there is no doubt that its disad- 

 vantages far outweigh its advantages, and the careful farmer will look 

 upon it as a mortal enemy, while the pastoralist will regard it as a nuisance, 

 only to be tolerated because its eradication involves too great a monetary 

 tax upon him. 



Where Found. Europe, North Africa, and Siberia, but introduced into 

 most (perhaps all) temperate countries in the world. 



As showing what a pest it is considered, it has been proclaimed a noxious 

 weed by eight shires and forty-six municipalities, as follows : 



SHIRES. 



Harwood Nymboida 



Macleay Orara 



MUNICIPALITIES. 

 Manilla 



Bolwarra 

 Bulli 



Port Stephens 

 Tarro. 



Aberdeen 



Adamstown 



Alexandria 



Annandale 



Armidale 



Ashfield 



Balmain 



Bathurst 



Bega 



Burwood 



Botany 



Carcoar 



Concord 



Dubbo 



Glebe 



Glen limes 



Grafton 



Graf ton South 



Goulburn 



Hamilton 



Hunter's Hill 



Kiama 



Lambton 



Maclean 



Manly 



Maitland East 



Maitland West 



Mascot 



Merewether 



Molong 



Mosman 



Moss Vale 



New Lambton 



Orange 



Quirindi 



Richmond 



Stockton 



Temora 



Ulladulla 



Ulmarra 



Uralla 



Walcha 



Willoughby 



Windsor 



Yass. 



True Star Thistle (Centaurea calcitrapa L.). 

 (COMPOSITE: Daisy or Thistle Family.) 



Vernacular Names. This is the Star Thistle, or the True Star Thistle, so 

 called in England. It has been sent to the Department from Grenfell and 

 Gunnedah as the " Pink Chinese Thistle " (to distinguish it from the yellow 

 one, Kentrophyllum or Carthamus), but the Chinese would be justified in 

 repudiating the association as an insult. 



Botanical Name Centaurea With an allied plant, the Centaur Chiron 

 is said to have cured the wound in his foot, caused by the arrow of Hercules. 

 Calcitrapa. The name is in allusion to the resemblance of the calyx to the 

 Calthrops, or iron ball, covered with spikes, formerly used for throwing 

 under horses' feet to lame them on a field of battle. 



