IMPROVEMENT OF GRASS LAND 209 



bear a number of dark squarish spots. The flowers 

 are pale purple marked with dark lines and spots, 

 and in dense, somewhat pyramidal, spikes ; the tuber 

 has somewhat the shape of a hand. The former 

 species occurs on many kinds of soil, and especially on 

 sterile clays (Buckman) ; the latter in damp meadows. 

 In the case of O. mascula a general improvement in the 

 herbage will reduce it, while for a reduction of O. 

 maculata drainage may be necessary. 



LILIACE.E 



Crow Garlic or Wild Onion (Allium vineale L.) is one 

 of the most troublesome of weeds, and very difficult to 

 eradicate. In the young stage from early winter until 

 late spring it closely resembles a young onion (Fig. 

 62), with round, hollow, pointed leaves. The globose 

 heads of reddish flowers are produced in summer. 

 The flowering heads also produce " bulbils," or small, 

 fleshy bodies which effectively reproduce the Wild 

 Onion. Allium vineale is therefore reproduced in three 

 ways : by seed, by bulbils, and by the " splitting " of 

 the parent bulbs. 



This pest occurs both in arable and grass land. In 

 the latter position it usurps the place of better herbage, 

 and is otherwise very harmful on account of the fact 

 that it taints the milk of cows which may be at pasture, 

 and also the butter which is produced from such milk. 

 On a dairy farm, indeed, a pasture may be rendered 

 almost useless for milking cows owing to the Wild 

 Onion. It may be reduced by spraying with a 5 per 

 cent solution of carbolic acid. 1 If only in small areas, 

 the bulbs may be dug up and picked out by hand. 

 Sutton says that the onion-like leaves appear to be 



1 Jour. Roy. Agiic. Soc., 1 900, 1901, and 1902. 



O 



