292 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



which are enriched by the dung of animals. Un- 

 der careless management it is olien a iroublesome 

 weed ; and in liek'is of turnips it will coniend for 

 mastery with the young plants. 



12. Corn spurrey, likewise of the pink inbe, 

 sometimes grows thickly in corn-fields, and then 

 il indicates bad condition of the soil, or careless 



/arminir. 



13. Goose-grass, called also cleavers, calchwceil, 

 and goose-tongue, grows naturnlly in hedges, 

 but is'^carried also to the cultivated fields where it 

 propagates itself rapidly. Its seeds are liimished 

 with hooked bristles, which attach themstlve.-^ to 

 the fur of animals, and in this manner are dis- 

 seminated. In some parts of England it is a 

 iroublesome weed, but in other parts it is com- 

 paratively inoffensive. 



14. The smair nettle is an annual plant, Il 

 sometimes extends over cultivated fields, and 

 generally indicates that the soil is enriched by 

 putrescent substances. 



15. The red dead-nettle, tliough termed a net- 

 tle, is of the mint tribe of plants. It is thus of 

 the same famUy as the mint, the marjoram, the 

 eage, and the thyme, plants all harndess and 

 possessinff cordial and stomachic properties. The 

 red dead-nettle is sometimes frequent in fields, 

 especially near hedges, and in sheltered places. 



16. The common hemp-nettle, also of ihe nunt 

 tribe of plants, is common in corn fields. Reap- 

 ers are sometimes attiected by severe innammaiion 

 in the hand by grasping it. Il is covered by 

 bristles, and these, on being pressed, emit a poi- 

 eoiious fluid. 



17. Sun-Spurge is one of a family of plants 

 which yield a peculiar milky juice. It is sonie- 

 limes atiundant in corn and turnip fields. 



18. Climbing buckwheat is, in some places, 

 termed bind-weed or bearbind. When if) quan- 

 tity it is apt to overpower the corn. It is fre- 

 quently seen twining round turnips and other 

 plants. lis seeds are said to injure wheat; but 

 the seeds are in themselves nuiriiive, and if mix- 

 ed with oats will not injure their quality. 



19. Knot-grass is another of the buckwheat 

 genus, of frequent occurrence ; but il abounds 

 more in waste places than in cultivated grounds. 



20. Hairy tare is a leguminous plant which 

 frequently occurs in cultivated fields, and then it 

 is a huriful weed. 



Several of the annual grasfes are of frequent 

 occurrence in cultivated grounds. 



21. The bearded darnel is common in some 

 countries, but it is comparatively rare in this.- 

 It has been condemned as a poisonous plant lor 

 more than 2,000 years.* 



22. The bearded wild oat is often a very perni- 

 cious weed. Its seeds rendily drop out when ripe; 

 and as il ripens sooner than the cereal grasses 

 and then sheds iis seeds, it is difficult to extirpate 

 it. It is frequently conveyed with theseed-cOin 

 to the ground, and thus may be propagated on the 

 best m.uiaaed farms. 



23. Several of the broom-sraSses are found 

 as weeds in our corn fields. The most fiequent 

 o/ these is the soli broom-grass, in some places 



termed goose-grass. The seeds of this plant are 

 like those of rye-grass, and are pro[)agated along 

 with that grass. But the plant iieelf is easily dis- 

 tinguished from Ihe rye-grass; and when ihe 

 iaiier is to be thmshed lor seeds, the broom-grass 

 may be picked out by the hand. The list of this 

 class of weeds might be greatly exiended, but 

 this does not seem to t)e here necessary. They 

 ore all of them best extirpated by dilligent tillage. 

 The belter cultivated a country tjecomes, tl>e less 

 prevalent and hurtful will be this class of jjlants. 



* This is the " spelt" of lower Virginia, which has 

 not been very long introduced, and which yet is be- 

 lieved by most persons to be degenerated wheat, as 

 4h»y also believe of "^beat.'* — Ed. F. R. 



II. Perennial Weeds. 



1. Uanunculus acris — upright meadow crow- 

 fbo!, and other ranuiiculi. 



2. Senecio Jacobea — common ragwort. 



3. Tussilago Farlara— coltsloot. 



4. Bellis perennis — daisy. 



5. Chrysanthemum Ijfeucanthemum— great 

 wtiite ox-eye. 



6. Cnicus arvensis — corn or way-thistle. 



7. Centaurea niiira — black napweed. 



8. Sonchus arvensis — corn sow-thistle. 



9. Lamium album — white dead-nettle. 



10. Kumex obiusili-ilius— broad-leaved dock. 



11. Polygonum amphibium— amphibious per- 

 eicaria. 



12. Uriica dioica — great nettle. 



13. Airrostis alba — marsh bent-grass. 



14. Arthenatherum avenaceum — common oat- 

 like tirass. 



15. Holciis mollis— creeping soft grass. 



16. 'IViiicnin repens — common wheat grass. 



17. Jiincus ettiisus — soft rush and oiherjunci. 

 IB. Hrn pse— heaths and other shrubby plants. 



19. Filices — lerns 



20. Musci— mosses. 



1. The uprishi meadow crowfoot grows in a 

 great variety ul soils and situations. Like most 

 of the danirerous family to which it belongs, it 

 inflames and bli-ters the skin. It is too acrid to 

 be eaten by calile, unless largely mixed with other 

 plants; but so mixed, it is consumed in small 

 quantity, and from iis abounding in our meadows, 

 is perhaps designed to serve as a condiment. In 

 common with some others of the genus, it is 

 termed biiUer-cup or butier-flower, from a [lopular 

 notion thai it gives the yellow color to holier. 

 It however injures the butter, whose yellow color 

 is due to the richn<;s3 of the pastures and not 

 10 these acrimonious plants. 



The cieeping crowfoot, Ranunculus repens, 

 anil bulbous crowfoot, Ranunculus bulbosus, 

 resemble the last in their properties. They adorn 

 our meadows with their bright yellow flowers, 

 and are cotiiprehended under the common name 

 of butter-flower, butter cup, and sometimes of" 

 king'p-cup, golden-flowers, &c. The bieakingup 

 of grass land lor a course of tillage is the only 

 means of eradicating this class of weeds. 



2. Common ragwort is a large, well known 

 weed in pasture fields. It receives many names, 

 as ragwort, ragweed, canker weed, &c. It has a 

 perennial root, and grows to the height of two 

 or three leet. It is best kept down by pasturing 

 with sheep, which eat it in its early stages. By 

 being pulled up by the hand, which can be easily 

 done when the ground is soil from rain, it can be 

 extirpated in grass fields without taking up the 

 land for a course of tillage. 



