948 



ntACTICE OF AGRICULTURE. 



III. 



every where in the subsoil alive and vigorous. Tliey send up a few leaves every year in the furrows and 

 on the side* of drains; and when any field is neglected or left a year or two in grass, they are found all 



over its surface. Were this tract left to nature for a few years, it would soon br as completely cover^l 

 with the Polygonum as it must have been at a former age, when it was one entire mar>h partially covered 

 by the Frith of Forth. The horse-tail is equally abundant in many soils, even of a drier desceiption ; and 

 the corn-thistle (Scrratula arvensis,^. 817. c) even in dry rocky grounds. Lightfoot {Flora Sculica) men- 

 tions plants of this species dug out of a quarry, the roots of which were nineteen feet in length : it 

 would be useless to attempt eradicating the roots of such plants. The only means of keeping them under, 

 is to cut off their tops or shoots as soon as they appear ; for which purpose, lands subject to them are best 

 kept in tillage. In grass lands, though they may be kept from rising high, yet they will, after being 

 repeatedly mown, form a stool or stock of leaves on the surface, which will suffice to strengthen their roots, 

 and greatly to injure the useful herbage plants and grasses. 



6203. Tuberous and bulbous-rooted ivceds, are not very numerous ; wild garlic, arum, and bryony are 

 examples ; and these are only to be destroyed by complete eradication. 



6204. Ramose, fusiform, and similarly rooted perennials, of which rest-harrow, fern, and scabious are 

 examples, may in general be destroyed by cutting over below the collar or point whence the seed-leaves 

 have issued. Below that point the great majority of plants, ligneous as well as herbaceous, have no power 

 of sending up shoots ; though there are many exceptions, such as the dock, burdock, &c, among herbs, 

 and the thorn, elm, poplar, cherry, crab, &c, among trees. 



G205. Holdich has taken a different view of the subject of weeds, and classed them, not 

 according to the modes by which they may be destroyed, but according to the injuries 

 which they do to the soil or the crop. He has divided them into two classes, weeds of 

 agriculture, or arable lands, and pasture weeds. 



6206. Arable veeds are arranged as, 1. those which infest samples of corn ; 2. root or fallow weeds, and 

 such others as are hard to destroy ; 3. those which are principally objectionable as they incumber the soil ; 

 4. underling weeds, such as never rise with the crop, nor come into the sickle. Under these heads, each 

 weed in its respective division is treated of as to its deteriorating qualities and mode of destruction. 



RhoB'as) ; o. Blue-bottle (Centaurea Cyanusi : 4. Mavweed 

 (/!' nthemis CNStula) ; and 5. Com marigold (Chrysanthemum 

 s^getum. 



6209. The treeds called underlings, or such as never rise in the 

 crops, are, 1. Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) ; 2. Annual meadow 

 grass (Pba annua) ; 3. Chickweed (Stellaria media) ; 4. Shep- 

 herd's purse (Thlapsi bursa pasl6ris and erecta) ; 5. Spurry 

 (SpArgula arv^nsis) ; 6. Chamomile (.Matricaria Chamomflla) ; 

 7.Tat-hen (Chenon&dium dlbum) ; 8. Common com salad 

 {Fedia. olitoria) , 9. Flix-weed (.Sisymbrium Sophia) ; 10. Com- 

 mon fumitory (Fumaria officinalis) ; 11. Sand mustard (A'ina- 

 pis muralis). 



620". The weeds tvhich infest the sample are, 1 . Darnel (/Milium 

 temulenrum) ; 2. Cockle (Agroslemm i Githkgo) ; 5. Tares 

 (fiYvum tetraspermum ; 4. Melilot (Trife-lium .Uelilotus offi- 

 cinalis); 5. Wild oats (.4vena fatua) ; 6 llariff (GUium ^pa- 

 nne) ; 7. Crow needles (ScandU P^cten) ; 8. Black bindweed 

 (Polygonum Convolvulus) ; 9. Snake-weed (Polygonum /apa- 

 thifolium; ; 10. Charlock seeds, (Sinapis, /taphanus, and Bras- 

 ■Jca) in barley sometimes. 



6208. Weeds which are principally olijectiemahle as they encum- 

 ber the soil are, 1. Charlock, a name which is applied to four 

 species of CrucllVr e ^ i *en-i> and nigra, Aaphanus 



Kaphanlstram, and Bra— i. a A :pus; ; 2. Com poppy (Papaver 



6210. Pasture tueeds are, 1. Dwarf-thistle (Carduusacaulis') ; 2. Common chamomile (A nthemis nobilis) ; 

 3. Star-thistle 'Ccntaurfca Calcitrapa ; 4. Ox-eyedaisy [Chrysanthemum leuranthemum' ; 5. Great fleabane 

 (Con^za squarrosa) ; 6. Cheese-rennet (Galium veruirO ; 7. I.ong-rooted hawkweed (Jpargia autumnalis) ■ 

 8. Wild thyme I Thfmut .S'erpvllum' ; 9. Sheep's sorrel (/.iimex Acetogella) ; 10. Knot-grass (Polygonum 

 aviculare) ; 11. Yellow tattle Khinanthus Crista galli) ; 12. Common carline thistle {Curiina vulgaris). 



6211. Pasture needs tvhich generally prevail in toamv s-ils, 

 and neb also as are prevalent in clave* and damp soil-, .ire 

 principally as follows : — 1 . Yellow (man-beard (Tragopogon 

 pr.itenMSi ; ?. Marsh thistle (Cdrduus paliistris) ; 3. Melan- 

 « i . > ttustle ;Carduus heierophyllus) ; -1. Meadow thistle (Car* 

 't 1 L* pratensis,. , 6. Common butter-hur (Tussilago Petasites) ; 



6. Common ragwort (Senecio JacobaAt) ; 7. Common daisy 

 (Mliis perennis); 8. Common black knapweed (Centaurea 

 niera) : 9. Broad-leaved dock (Riimex obtusifblius) ; 10 Orchb 

 fCrrcbis mascula. macutata, latifoiia, m6rlo, and ryramidaiis) ; 

 II. Common cow-parsmp (iferacleum Sphondylium) ; 12. 

 Sedge (Carex), various species. 



«212. A calnlnzne <]f weed* could be of little use to the agriculturist, as the meiv 

 names could never instruct him as to their qualities as weeds, even if he knew them by 



