240 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. 



quickly dissipated by the beams of the sun. This pheno- 

 menon only occurs during the hottest part of summer. 



C — The farmer begins to see some promise of a reward 

 for his exertions : the potatoes have been in blossom for se- 

 veral days, and so have the peas ; oats and wheat are com- 

 ing into ear. At a short distance beyond Sherbrooke, I saw 

 a field of wheat in ear, as early as the 6th of this month. 



F. — A field of potatoes in blossom has, in my opinion, a 

 very fine appearance, from the rich luxuriance of the vegeta- 

 tion ; the dark green hue contrasting with the delicate 

 lilac blossom. The regularity of the rows adds to the effect, 

 if they are kept clean and free from weeds ; but this is a 

 difficult task, and requires a great deal of attention and 

 labour. 



C. — What are the chief weeds we have to contend with ? 



F, — I have already mentioned the Canada Thistle 

 (Cnicus Arvensis) ; but even that vile plant is not so bad 

 as the Burrweed (Galeopsis Tetrakit), which is spreading 

 over our fields, and ruining our farms. This is a vigorous 

 plant, growing from a creeping root, which is, I believe, 

 perennial ; though the plant is annual : it has a tall branchy 

 stem, and leaves like those of a nettle ; it bears a pretty 

 white labiate flower, succeeded by large burrs or seed-ves- 

 sels, covered, when ripe, with hard, sharp prickles, defying 

 the touch. It produces seeds in most prolific abundance, 

 which are unfortunately scattered before our grain is cut ; 

 and as it spreads from the root as well as the seed, there 

 appears no way to eradicate it, but pulling up every plant. 

 But in doing this, the root often breaks, and leaves a part in 

 the ground, to become the progenitor of a new stock of 

 weeds. Besides this, wherever this spinous weed grows with 

 wheat or other grain, a great deal of the latter is obliged to 

 be wasted, as it cannot be reaped ; for no man can put his 

 hand into a bed of burrweed with impunity. In short, 



