WEEDS AND WEEDING 55 



5. Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis). 



6. Flax Dodder. 



7. Docks (Rumex). 



52. Charlock is a ubiquitous yellow-flowered weed and most 

 troublesome pest ; strong and rapid in growth, producing an 

 abundance of seed which usually ripens before the cultivated 

 crop, and are then shed, thus increasing the difficulty of 

 keeping the weed in check. The ripened seed possesses a 

 wonderful vitality and will lie uninjured in the soil for years 

 and germinate when turned up again to the surface, light, 

 and air by the plough. Fig. 23 shows the complete plant 

 about one-sixth its natural size at A, and at B the stem with 

 seed pods, on a large scale. 



53. Redshank is a serious pest. It is a coarse growing 

 branched annual. The stems have red swollen joints and a 

 dark patch appears in the centre of each leaf. Long clusters 

 of small beadlike pink blossoms grow at intervals up the stem. 

 Hand pulling will generally check and largely prevent seeding. 

 (See Fig. 26.) 



54. Corn Marigold. On light or peaty soils the corn mari- 

 gold becomes so abundant as to be a serious pest. It is an 

 annual, possessed of great vitality. If pulled up and thrown 

 aside it continues to ripen and shed its numerous seeds ; 

 a mild season greatly prolongs its flowering period. (See 

 Fig. 27.) 



55. Thistles may be included among the worst of weeds ; 

 they grow large and strong on good land and are especially 

 troublesome at the time of the pulling of the flax and har- 

 vesting. They serve as a host for the mangold fly. (See 

 Fig. 24.) 



56. Field Bindweed is a small plant, attractive and beautiful ; 

 it twines itself around the crop and retards its growth, doing 

 much damage. When eradicated, which is a difficult process, 

 it should be destroyed by burning. (Fig. 28.) 



57. Flax Dodder is a most serious parasitic weed, which, 

 under favourable conditions, attaches itself by means of 



