THE WEEDS OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 123 



greener. The plant, particularly the upper portions of it, is more or less 

 thinly-woolly, or rather spider- webby. Perhaps these few notes will supple- 

 ment the plate in making the identity of the thistle clear to every farmer. 



Botanical Description. A botanical description will only be understood 

 by botanists, and is perhaps unnecessary here. Those who desire the original 

 description will find it in De Candolle's Prodromus, vol. vi, p. 610 (1837), 

 while a botanical description in English will be found at page 17 of Baron 

 von Mueller's Illustrated Description of Thistles, Melbourne, 1893. 



In Moloney's " Sketch of the Forestry of West Africa," p. 376, I find 

 under Carthamus lanatus, " Blessed Thistle " of the Parisians, said to 

 possess sudorific, febrifugal and anthelmintic properties, Merat et Sens, 

 Diciionnaire Medicale, tome ii, p. 115. " Widely cultivated." The last 

 statement is apparently taken from Oliver's "Flora of Tropical Africa," 

 vol. iii, p. 439. Why it is " widely cultivated " I do not know. It may be 

 that the seeds yield oil. It is closely related to the safflower (Carthamus- 

 tinctorius') , but -contains very much less colouring matter. But I recom- 

 mend Australians not to attach the slightest commercial importance to the 

 supposed medicinal or tinctorial properties of our wretched weed. 



How to get rid of it. It is an annual, and the only way to get rid of it 

 is to cut it before it comes into full flower, and then burn it. Landowners 

 should not be content with cutting it, as the dried plant may lame or other- 

 wise injure sheep, &c., and a few seeds may escape destruction. It is 

 manifest that united action should take place in dealing with the pest, for 

 if there be an infested paddock in a district, the wind will waft the seeds 

 like .little shuttlecocks into the surrounding land. The pest is not yet so 

 prevalent in this State as it is in South Australia and Victoria, and it is 

 to be hoped that landowners will eradicate it on the principle that " a stitch 

 in time saves nine." 



Where Found. This plant is a native of the Mediterranean region 

 (Europe and Africa, and South-West Asia). It has found its way into most 

 temperate and warm regions of the world. 



I have received it from most parts of New South Wales. It is proclaimed 

 in the following areas : 



SHIRES. 



Abercrombie Oulcairn Mulwaree Wakool 



Berrigan Dalgety Mumbulla Waradgery % 



Bland Gadara Murray Waugoola 



Canobolas Gilgandra Murrumbidgee Windouran 



Carrathool Goodradigbee Murrungal Yarrowlumla. 



Cobbora Gunning Patrick's Plains 



Coolamoii Imlay Rylstone 



v Coreen Lyndhurst Talbragar 



Crookwell Macquarie Tumbarumba 



MUNICIPALITIES. 



Blayney Glenlnnes Tamworth Wyalong 



Braidwood Moama Temora .Yass 



Burrowa Orange Tumut Young. 

 Cowra 



