THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



291 



tlian perennial weeds, yet ihis conclusion does not 

 always hold ; for some of ihe annual ppecies have 

 such numerous minute seeds, ihat it is ul'ien very 

 (titlicult to extirpate them, and when they liave 

 j^ot into ground, keep jiost-etision even more iii- 

 veterately than ihose which have the power 0/ 

 springing again Irom their roots. 



Of the perennial weeds greatly the most trou- 

 blesome are I hose which have creeping roots ; lor 

 these extend themselves below ground, and il 

 any ol the parts of ilie roots remain, these may 

 give birth to new planis. 



Either chiss ol' weeds may be frequently de- 

 stroyed by the same means, namely, by assidu- 

 ous tillage of the ground ; but yet a natural divi- 

 sion of ihem is into such as have annual and 

 biennial roots, and such as have perennial roots. 



I. /lanual andjjiennial weeds. 



or weeds which have annua! or biennial rooie, 

 the (bllowing are tlie most prevalent in ihi^ 

 country. 



1. Sinapis arveneis— wild mustrird. 



2. Raphanus raphanistruni — wild radish. 



3. Pa|)aver rhoeas— corn poppy. 



4. Ceniaurea cyanus — corn blue-botile. 



5. Chrysanthemum segeium — corn marigold. 



6. Pyrethrum inodorum — corn leverfew. 



7. Sonchus oleraceus — sow-thistle, 



8. Cnicus lanceolatus — spear piume-thisilc. 



9. Arctium lapjia — burdock. 



10. Agrostemma gilhago — corn cockle. 



11. Stellaria media — common chickweed. 



12. Spergula arvensis — corn spurrey. 



13. Galium aparine — goose-grass. 



14. Urtica urens — small nettle. 



15. Lamium purpureum — red dead-nettle. 



16. Galeopsis tetrahit — common liemp-neiile. 



17. Euphorbia helioscopia — sun-spurge. 



18. Polygonum convolvulus — climbing buck- 



wheat. 



19. Polygonum avicuiare — knot-gra.ss. 



20. Ervum hirsulum — hairy tare. 



21. Lolium temulenium — bearded darnel. 



22. Avena fatua — bearded wild oal. 



23. Bromus mollis — soft broom-grass. 



1. The wild nmstard, the charlock of farm- 

 ers, frtquemly springs up'in vast abundance in 

 fields of growing corn. It (lowers in May or 

 June, and as it ripens and sheds iis seeds before 

 harvest, it is difficult 10 extirpate it. Sometimes 

 its flowers are cut off by a scythe or hook as they 

 rise above the com in spring; and sometimes 

 they are pulled up from amongst the corn by the 

 hand, which is an unsaiisfaciory and operose 

 method. The row culiure is, in an especial de- 

 gree, beneficini in the case of this and similar 

 planis, lor the first crops of them can be cut down 

 by the hoe in spring. But the period most suita- 

 ble lor desiroying the wild mustard is during the 

 summer-fallow and lallow-crops. Yet under any 

 circumstances it is difficult to subdue it, its seeds 

 lying for an indefinite period in the soil until 

 brought by the plough within the influence of the 

 air. Often it springs up without any known 

 cause and covers entire fields. It abounds in 

 fields of turnips, contending tor mastery with the 

 young plants. Oiher species ofsinapie also spring 



I up in cullivaled ground, but this is the meet pre- 



j valeni and hurtful. 



I 2. The wild radish, or jointed charlock, lik« 



I the wild mustard, has yellow flowers, and grows 



land sheds ils seeds amongst corn. The two 



j plants, Jroin their similarity, are frequently con- 



1 Ibunded together, and piiss under the common 



I name of charlock. 



! 3. The corn poppy is disiinguished in summer 



j by its gay red flowers. Ii sohieiimes rises in 



large quantilits in corn fields, especially in toils 

 I thai are dry, sandy or gi<ivelly. It receives the 



name of red poppy, corn-rose, red-weed, &c. 



4. The corn blue- bottle is of a genus which 

 contains several species known as weeds. That 

 however which is peculiar to corn-fields is the 

 corn blue-boitle. It grows amongst corn, but 

 rarely in great quantify, and ils" presence merely 

 indicates careless (arming. 



5. The corn marigold is of a genus that sup- 

 plies our gardens and greenhouses with many 

 beautiful flowers. From the color of its flowers 

 It is in some places termed yellow-bottle, in other 

 places gowlands, or jellow gowans. It grows 

 amongsi fields of corn, and may be pulled by the 

 hand. It is not in this country a very generally 

 difl^used weed, being found only in particular parts. 

 But ill some sandy districts of Europe it prevaiia 

 10 so great a degree as to destroy the crops. 



6. The corn (ijverlew or scentless May-weed, 

 is generally classed by farmers under the name 

 of mayweed, with two other plants of pimilar 

 a()pearance, stinking chamomile and wild cha- 

 momile. The corn leverlew rises sometimes in 

 cultivated land in considerable quantities. 



The corn poppy, the corn blue-bottle, the corn 

 mangold, and the different May-weeds may be 

 said to form a class. They grow up vf ith the crops 

 of corn,- and announce by their beautiful flowers 

 the return of the warmer season. They are not 

 of the (brmidable class of weeds, and yet assidu- 

 ous tillage is required to eradicate them. They 

 are (requently conveyed to the farm with the seeds 

 of corn, and then caretiil winnowing is the best 

 preventive. 



7. The sow-thistle grows in fields of corn. It 

 is of a family of planis whose liixhi seeds are 

 widely dispersed by the winds. But although a 

 common, it is not a dangerous weed. 



8. Spear plume-ihisiie is one of a genus of 

 troublesome weeds, but which are mostly perennial, 

 while the spear plume-thistle is biennial. It 

 sometimes abounds in old pastures. It may in 

 all cases be destroyed by cutting it over when in 

 flower, and before its seeds are ripe. 



9. The burdock is a familiar plant whose hook- 

 ed scales fasten themselves pertinaciously ro 

 clothes and the fur of animals. It is a biennial 

 plant, seldom injurious, and easy to be ex- 

 tirpated.. 



10. The corn cockle or corn campion, is of the 

 pink tribe of planis. The flour of its seeds mix- 

 ed with grain jnjures greatly the quality, 'J'he 

 seeds are heavy, and on this account cannot be 

 separated from corn in the operation of winnow- 

 ing. It grows singly, chiefly amongst wheat ; 

 and being easily distinguished, it can te pulled 

 up by the hand. 



11. Common chickweed is of the same natural 

 family, but of a different habit ©(growth. It 

 grows not alone, but thickly in the parts of fields 



