208 COMMON WEEDS 



shoots attain 6 inches to a foot in height. A liberal 

 dressing of salt should be given when the Nettles are 

 first cut down in spring. The use of tarred paper in 

 the manner referred to at p. 41 may also be useful on 

 small areas. 



CANNABACE.E 



Wild Hop (Humulus Lupulus L.) is a perennial 

 which occurs in many parts of the country in hedges 

 and bushy places, and may occasionally cause harm 

 by climbing among corn crops or grass laid up for 

 mowing. The stems and leaves are rough, with strong 

 hooked hairs which enable the plant to cling to a 

 support, thus aiding the climbing or twining habit. 

 The seeds are easily distributed by the wind in autumn, 

 and young plants appear in the next spring. Although 

 the Hop appears to be indigenous in Britain, many of 

 the so-called Wild Hops are probably escapes from 

 cultivation. 



Where the Hop is found to be a nuisance much may 

 be done to prevent trouble in the future by regular 

 trimming of hedgerows and ditches, so cutting off the 

 plants at the base and preventing seeding. 



OKCHIDACE^: 



The Purple Orchis (Orchis masmla L.) and the 

 Spotted Orchis (O. maculata L.) are frequently very 

 plentiful in grass land. 



The Purple Orchis is a foot or more in height, has 

 elliptic-lanceolate leaves usually spotted with purple- 

 black, and somewhat spotted reddish-purple flowers 

 in lax spikes ; the tubers are ovoid. 



The Spotted Orchis is also about a foot high, and 

 the leaves are narrow oblong-lanceolate, and generally 



