WKKOS.] 



MODERISr ENGLISH 1\\ RMIXO. 



[■\VEEUS. 



that "tho Crow-garlie is a liliaceous plant, 

 the scapo or llower-stein of which is as much 

 as from two to threo feet high, rising from a 

 bulb, which, especially in non-llowering exam- 

 ples, will bo surrounded by from four to eight 

 s;iialler bulbs or htilbrls. Tlio original inleu- 

 tiou of tho scapo is to bear tho flowers, after 

 the manner of tho garlic and onion of our 

 garden; but it curiously happens that, instead 

 o[ flowers, tho scape is surmounted by from 

 one to three compacted heads of minute bulbs, 

 possessing tho structure and characters of 

 those at the base of the plant, and endowed 

 with such a power of vitality, as to be, in 

 most cases, viviparous; that is, growing or 

 sending out leaves before they fall from the 

 parent stem. These are sometimes, but very 

 rarely, mixed with flowers ; and as they readily 

 and singly separate from the parent as its 

 stem becomes dry, they become scattered 

 around, and take possession of the soil. Thus 

 a whole colony, in one season, results from a 

 single plant. 



" Thus, then, we see that the Crow-garlic, if 

 allowed to seed, has a prodigious method of 

 increase; but we must recollect that this in- 

 crease is not, like the majority of weed-plants, 

 by seeds which are agreeable to birds and 

 insects, by which means many much more 

 productive plants are kept in check. On 



the contrary, it would appear to be avoided 

 by all classes of tlieso creatures; whilst the 

 bulbols themselves, which uro seldom abortive, 

 possess such wonderful powers of vitality, 

 that they may bo kept like onions, or tho 

 ordinary flowering bulbs, for months, and, 

 perhaps, oven years, and still maintain their 

 germinating power." 



The importance of this subject must be our 

 apology for tho length of this quotation ; but 

 it makes it clear, that the farmer who does not 

 know that tho principal means by which tho 

 Crow-garlic is multiplied is through the bulbs, 

 has done but half his work in tho destruction 

 of tho weed, if ^ho allows these still to exist. 

 Facts of this sort necessarily suggest the value 

 of a knowledge of botany to the farmer, espe- 

 cially when tho operation of weeding alone, on 

 an acre of arable land, costs the yearly sum of 

 from five to twenty shillings. An old rural 

 rhyme says that — 



" One year's seeding 

 Is seven years' weeding." 



And the truth of the maxim it embodies will 

 be apparent from the following table, drawn 

 up from several hundreds of observations, 

 stretching over a period of five years, in dif- 

 ferent parts of England, and under the most 

 varied conditions of geological formation and 

 modes of farminer : — 



Tahh of the Fectmdity of Weed-Plants. 



Trivial Xames. 



Botanical Names. 



Kumbcr of Seeds 

 to a Plant. 



When Gathered. 



Black Mustard . . 

 Charlock .... 



Shepherd's Purse . 

 Hedge JNIiistard . . 

 Cow Parsnip . . . 

 Fool's Parsley , . 

 Red Bartsia . . . 

 Dandelion . . . o 

 Hardhead Scabious . 

 Nipple Wort . . . 

 Stinking Chamomile 

 Slay- weed ...... 



Burdock .... 



Sow-thistld; . •■ . 

 Giouudsel . . o . 

 I\Iusk-thistle . . . 

 Corn Cockle . . . 

 Common Campion . 

 Common Dock . . 

 Red Poppy . . . 



Siuapis I\ igra . . . . 

 Sinapis Arneusis . . 

 Capsella Bursa-pastoris. 

 Sisymbrium OBicinale . 

 Heraclium Spoudylium 

 QSthusa Cynapium . . 

 Bartsia Odontites . . 

 Leontodon Taraxacum . 

 Centaurea Scabiosa . 

 Lapsana Communis . . 

 Autlicmis Cotula. . . 

 Authemis Arvensis . , 

 Arctium Lajipa . . , 

 Lonchus Oleraceous . . 

 Seiiecio Vulgaris . . . 

 Carduus Kutaus . . . 

 Agrodtemma Githago . 

 Lychnis Dioica . . . 



Humex 



I'apaver Rhacus . . . 



8,000 



4,000 



4,500 



5,400 



5,000 



0,000 



4,800 



2,040 



4,000 



8,400 



40,050 



45,000 



24,520 



19,000 



6,500 



3,750 



2,940 



3,425 



13,000 



50,000 



August 17. 

 September 18. 

 September 9. 

 October 13. 

 August 17. 

 August 17. 

 October 1. 

 OctobL-v 1. 

 September 10. 

 September 23. 

 September 23, 

 October 14. 

 October 1. 

 October 1. 

 September 10. 

 October 13. 

 September 8. 

 October 1. 

 September 15. 

 October 19. 



bST 



