30O GARDEN FOES. 



is not the necessity, as in days of old, of going through 

 the tedious and expensive process of weeding by hand. 



Weeds Infesting^ Paths and Drives The chief 



weeds infesting gravel and ballast paths, etc., are various 

 kinds of grass. The seeds of these are blown from neigh- 

 bouring pastures, or from neglected corners of the garden 

 where grasses are permitted to flower and bear seeds. 

 Birds, too, often carry them on to the paths. The mois- 

 ture in the interstices of the gravel afford the seeds just 

 the ideal conditions for germination and subsequent 

 growth, and it will be observed that many grasses possess 

 the precocious habit of reaching maturity raj^idly and com- 

 ing into flower. If one tuft of grass only be permitted to 

 flower and bear seeds, these will in time speedily produce 

 a crop of seedlings, and take possession of considerable 

 areas of path. Then again, moss is a very troublesome 

 weed, growing freely in damp situations or under the 

 shade of trees. Lichens, too, grow freely in badly-drained 

 paths. Both these weeds grow in dense patches, and are 

 difficult to eradicate by hand. Another troublesome path 

 weed is the Knotweed (Polygonum aviculare). This has 

 slender wiry stems, which spread closely on the surface, 

 and strong, deeply-descending roots which render the weed 

 difficult to extract. The Pearlworts (Sagina), Spergulas, 

 Daisies, Plantains, Dandelions, and Bindweed are further 

 examples of weeds that infest paths and drives, and give 

 immense trouble to get rid of once they obtain a good 

 foothold. 



Weed-killers, or Weedicides. — There are several 

 special liquid preparations sold by dealers in horticultural 

 sundries and by chemists that, when diluted with water 

 and applied by means of a fine-rosed water-pot to the sur- 

 face in sufficient quantity to saturate the gravel, will 

 speedily kill every kind of weed, and at the same time so 

 poison the earthy portion of the path or drive as to pre- 

 vent seeds germinating or weeds growing therein for a 

 long time. Those who make a practice of applying one 



