PARASITIC PLANTS 



271 



(3) Top-dressings of salt have in some instances 

 proved effective. Grazing with sheep in April, accom- 

 panied by a dressing of 6 cwt. per acre of salt, is stated 

 to have had good results, a field infested in 1896 pro- 

 ducing no Yellow Rattle in 1897, the year in which 

 treatment took place. 1 



In some experiments, conducted in 1893 by the 

 Glasgow Technical College, the weed was found to be 

 completely destroyed by the application of 6 cwt. of 

 salt per acre in dry 

 sunny weather in the 

 end of April. The salt 

 burned the surface of 

 the pastures very badly, 

 but the grasses re- 

 covered when rain came, 

 and gave an increased 

 produce. The Yellow 

 Rattle, however, was 

 completely extermi- 

 nated. 



(4) Where infested 

 pastures or meadows are 

 really damp or wet, 

 they should be drained, 

 grazed, and manured. 



Eyebright (Euphrasia 

 offidnalis L.) is an erect 

 annual (Fig. 75) com- 

 mon in pastures and 

 meadows on light soils. F ' G ' 



It is a very variable 

 plant, and some forms are met with on damp peaty 

 ground. The stems are thin and wiry, from i to 6 



1 North British Agriculturist, October, 1897. 



