262 On Weeding Land. 



therefore to be removed, for the introduction of others bet- 

 ter adapted for that purpose. No person of common un- 

 derstanding, would ever think of allowing the live stock of 

 his neighbours to feed upon his pastures, as the diminution 

 of food to his own stock, by that circumstance, would be 

 sufficiently obvious. A little consideration, however, may 

 convince every individual, that a multitude of weeds, inter- 

 spersed among his grasses, produce effects not less mischie- 

 vous, than those that would ensue from such depredations 

 of live stock. Yet from the Cheshire Report it appears, 

 that in some of the best-conditioned pastures in that county, 

 ragwort, docks, thistles, and knapweed, occupy at least half 

 the land, to the exclusion of an equal number of useful 

 plants ( 37i ). 



Above twenty different kinds of weeds infest grass lands 

 besides about thirty more, of less importance, whose cha- 

 racters are doubtful, or whose uses are not ascertained. 

 Some of the most worthless, as the rush, (juncusj^ and the 

 sedge tribe, (carex)^ may be got the better of by draining ; 

 others, like the mosses, (muscij, either by cultivation or 

 manure ; but there are a few which require individual atten- 

 tion, before they can be eradicated, in particular the dock, 

 the thistle, and the rag-weed. 



The dock has been already mentioned as a weed in arable 

 lands. It is equally injurious to grass, both on account of 

 its seeds and its roots. Its seeds are exceedingly numerous, 

 and heavy, but the stem is flexible, and the recoil from a 

 blast, with a high wind, spreads them to some distance. 

 Docks are found to vegetate equally on turf, and on naked 

 mould. Every bit of root forms a new plant, even after the 

 heart has been consumed by a species of caterpillar. To 

 eradicate this plant in grass lands, the root must be com- 

 pletely taken out by the dock-iron, at, or before the time 

 of flowering, and thoroughly destroyed : this can generally 

 be effected, after much rain. They are refused by cattle ; 

 but are eaten by fallow deer, which prevents their flourish- 

 ing in parks. This plant is best exterminated when the 

 ground is in pasture. It is said, that if it is cut in June, and 

 the operation repeated as soon as the second shoot appears, 

 the root is found to decay, and that it will not germinate a 

 third time ( 373 ). 



Thistles have also been mentioned as infesting arable 

 lands. They are generally weeded out of the corn, but are 

 too frequently left in full possession of the grass-land, by 

 which much damage is incurred; yet these weeds are most 



