70 



Pernicious Weeds — Canada Viistk. — Horticulture. Vol. VI. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Pernicious Weeds— Canada Thistle. 



It is strange that farmers are not more 

 aware of the injury of allowing pprnicious 

 weeds to flourish unmolested on their farms, 

 when by a little attention and labour they 

 are so easily extirpated. I have frequently 

 seen whole farms covered with wild carrot, 

 daisy, &c. A weedy flirm, bad fences, and a 

 lazy farmer, generally go together. Weeds 

 are like little debts: a faw are not felt, but 

 if the habit of contracting them be persisted 

 in, they soon run up to an alarming amount, 

 and perhaps finally ruin the possessor. 



Weeds should be pulled as fast as they ap- 

 pear. If the first be removed, there need be 

 little fear of the second. They increase at 

 the rate of a hundred fold ; and it is not 

 merely the space they occupy, but the nour- 

 ishment they take from the soil. A crop of 

 weeds will impoverish land almost as much 

 as a crop of corn or grass, and wherever 

 they flourish abundantly, it is impossible to 

 have a full crop of anything else. A farmer 

 who allows weeds to grow, will not only in- 

 jure himself — they are continually encroach- 

 ing upon his more careful neighbours. 



Two years ago, I had a lot entirely covered 

 with St. Johnswort, which had taken such a 

 deep hold of the soil, that it had almost ef- 

 fectually destroyed the clover and timothy. 

 I mowed it about the middle of July, when 

 the seeds were nearly ripe, and when the 

 young shoots sprung up, I turned a flock of 

 sheep upon it, which kept it completely eat 

 down until frost. Last spring there was 

 scarcely a stalk to be seen, a beautiful 

 growth of timothy and clover having taken 

 its place. 



But the Canada Thistle is, perhaps, the 

 greatest pest to him who is so unfortunate as 

 to get it on his land. It spreads rapidly, both 

 from the root and seed. It first came into 

 this neighbourhood in a cargo of timothy 

 seed from the northern part of New York, 

 where it has so completely taken possession 

 of some sections, that the land is almost 

 worthless. Many abandon their farms alto- 

 gether, finding it impossible to reap the wheat; 

 and the cattle will not eat the hay when 

 mixed with the thistles. It is next to impos- 

 sible to destroy it. I have tried various 

 means, but none seem to answer in a satis- 

 factory manner. I believe the best way is 

 to dig it up, and salt it well, as the least par- 

 ticle that is lef\ in the ground will grow. I 

 have dug to the depth of two feet, and pour- 

 ed brine over the roots, giving the whole a 

 pretty thick coat of salt; this stopped the 

 growth for one year, but the next summer it 

 was thicker than ever. 1 suppose it grew 



from the seeds which were nearly ripe when 

 the thistles were dug. 



How effectually to destroy these pernicious 

 intruders should be a part of the study of 

 every farmer. But it is a subject that has 

 received but little attention, generally. We 

 should be up and doing; and now (in Sep- 

 tember) when we have little of importance 

 to do, we should shoulder the hoe, scythe, 

 and spade, and go forth to the field to meet 

 these common enemies. If once effectually 

 "driven from the plains," it will be some 

 time ere they return again to harass us. 



W. C. 



Brandj'wine Hundred. 



Horticulture. 



Our Horticultural Society embraces among 

 its members the young — this is well. — To 

 create a taste for such studies at an early 

 age, should be the effort of every one who 

 has the true interest of the young at heart : 

 — for we can conceive of no single vice or 

 low pursuit to which the young are exposed, 

 which may not be counteracted by early in- 

 struction in the pursuits of the garden or the 

 field, and children and youth are particularly 

 inclined to this branch of easy employment: 

 even the picturesque scenery of your busy 

 city invites to a study of the beauties and 

 wonders of nature. The rare and beautiful 

 wild flowers which now adorn your table, 

 were the humble and happy offerings of^ 

 youth ; and show that the wild banks of the 

 river, the broad meadows, the oaken woods, 

 and even the tall trees of your streets, amidst 

 high piles of masonry, and the diversified 

 flora of your vicinity, are favourable to the 

 study of flowers — and show that the narrow 

 area of your dwelling-houses is capable of 

 aflx)rding your children sufficient space for 

 their mimic floriculture ; and not a few of 

 the more delicious fruits, even, might be 

 trained to your sunny walls by the careful 

 and curious fingers of those little happy in- 

 mates, in whom are centred your anxious 

 wishes and your choicest blessings. The 

 rearing of a few plants in pots may occupy 

 a child's leisure hours; and were the young 

 person of a more advanced stage of life, 

 even, to whom could such an attention to the 

 wonders of vegetation be otherwise than 

 ever instructive and delightfuH I hail the 

 efl^orts of the young, in their votive offerings 

 to Flora, as among the happiest omens of our 

 day. 



Nor must I forget to offer the meed of 

 praise due to the other sex, who, by the con- 

 stitution of the society, are enrolled among 

 its most honourable members ! Some of the 

 most superb green-houses and gardens in 

 England are the property, and under the 

 management of women of the highest rank, 



