IMPROVEMENT OF GRASS LAND 193 



seeds scattered by the wind ; seeding should therefore 

 be prevented as far as possible. Regular and persistent 

 spudding will reduce them ; at the same time an effort 

 should be made to encourage clovers and grasses to 

 choke them out. 



Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale Wigg. or Leontodon 

 Taraxacum L.) is one of the commonest weeds of grass 

 land, and needs little description. It possesses very 

 deep-seated roots, and as the plant is a perennial, this 

 makes it very difficult to eradicate by the use of the 

 spud. If a Dandelion plant be examined it will be 

 observed that the dense mass of leaves lie almost flat 

 on the ground, cover comparatively a large area, and 

 tend to smother out good grasses and clovers. The 

 Dandelion does more harm in this way than is com- 

 monly believed. 



Flowering takes place from early spring until the 

 autumn, i.e. from March to October, and if the flowers 

 are allowed to come to maturity large numbers of seeds 

 are produced and distributed by the wind by means of 

 the pappus attachment. The author has a record of 

 a plant bearing twenty-seven flowering heads, one of 

 which bore 200 seeds, giving a total of 5400 seeds 

 on a single plant. 



The Dandelion should be repeatedly attacked by 

 means of the spud, by which it should be deeply cut 

 off. The use at the same time of a complete artificial 

 manure to encourage a better type of herbage does 

 tnuch to suppress the weed. A pinch of sulphate of 

 ammonia placed on the cut surface of each plant 

 after spudding will kill the roots, but this is too tedious 

 and expensive a process, except in the case of small 

 areas, especially lawns. In Dr. Frank's experiments 1 

 it was found that Dandelions, sprayed when full 



1 Arb. aus tier Biol. Abth.filr Land, und Fontw., I Band, 1900. 



N 



