WEEDS OF ARABLE LAND 125 



creeping underground stems as thoroughly as possible 

 and giving a liberal dressing of salt. 



Small (Stinging) Nettle (Urtica urens L.) differs 

 from the last species in being an annual, much smaller, 

 and smooth except for the stinging hairs. The leaves 

 are ovate-oblong and coarsely serrated, and the spikes 

 of flowers are J to i inch long. This is a common 

 nettle, and should be attacked by regular cutting to 

 prevent seeding. 



LILTACE.E 



Crow Garlic or Wild Onion (Allium vineale L.), de- 

 scribed at p. 209 as a serious pest in grass land, is quite 

 as troublesome in arable- land. We have been told 

 of a stretch of country near Peterborough, miles in 

 length, on which a variety of soils are badly affected 

 with this weed, the farmers of the locality having tried 

 all tillage operations in vain in their efforts to subdue 

 the pest. Repeated and costly hoeing appeared to be 

 useless. As will be observed at p. 209, the weed 

 spreads with great rapidity. 



In connection with the eradication of this pest, the 

 following suggestions may be made: (i) In small 

 areas the bulbs may be dug out by hand as fast as 

 they appear this will in the long run be better than 

 a great extension of the pest ; (2) two root crops in 

 succession, say potatoes and mangolds, with both deep 

 and shallow ploughing in the intervals, will give little 

 or no rest for the Wild Onion, and thorough and 

 repeated hoeing of the crops should go far to reduce 

 it ; (3) the growth of a heavy crop of vetches or maize 

 would also greatly assist in checking it ; (4) a heavy 

 dressing of gas-lime worked into the land should be 

 tried ; (5) the Woburn experiments * showed that spray - 



1 Jour. R.A.S.E., 1900, 1901, and 1902. 



