342 THE VILLA GARDENER. 



be either rooted up, or, what is a much more simple and economical mode, and 

 yet quite as effectual, the incipient leaves may be kept constantly cut over 

 close by the surface of the ground as soon as they appear. As the health, 

 and even life, of the root of a plant depend upon the noiu-ishment which it 

 receives from the leaves, so, by removing the incipient leaves or buds from 

 any plant the moment they appear, and continually doing this as long as any 

 leaves or buds are produced, all plants whatever, and consequently all weeds, 

 will ultimately be killed. In this way ferns, which are so injurious to pastures 

 in some sandy soils, may v.-ith more certainty be destroyed than by any other 

 mode ; for their roots, or rather underground shoots, are so numerous and 

 brittle, that it is scarcely possible to eradicate them by digging them out. It 

 is a common practice to mow v/eeds and ferns for the purpose of destroying 

 them ; but, as this mowing never takes place till the leaves have expanded, a 

 considerable portion of nourishment has been already sent down to the root, 

 and thus the object of the operation is in a great measure defeated. Our 

 readers, therefore, will bear in mind, as a general principle, that all plants, 

 from the loftiest tree to the humblest herb, depend not only for their growth, 

 but for their continued existence, on the leaves which they produce ; and 

 that, as we before observed, by removing these leaves before they are fully 

 expanded, all plants whatever, and consequently all weeds, may be destroyed. 

 408. Mosses frequently abound in pastures, and occupy a great part of the 

 space that ought to contain plants of grass or clover. Where pastures are 

 open and fully exposed to the influence of the sun and air, the appearance of 

 moss in them is a symptom of extreme poverty in the soil ; as in the case of 

 lawns in the fi-onts of mansions, which have been mown for many years toge- 

 ther without being pastured or manured. When moss is abundant in pastures 

 which have been fed or mown, it indicates moisture, shade, and want of air 

 and sunshine, accompanied, most generally, by want of manure. The remedy 

 in this last case is sufficiently obvious : some of the trees must be removed, 

 or the hedges cut in and kept low, while the soil is sufficiently drained, and 

 manured and pastured one or two seasons, without being mown. The reason 

 why we recommend pasturing without mowing, is founded on the fact that 

 all other plants are more injured by being deprived of their leaves than grasses ; 

 consequently, pasturing a surface, by eating down all the leaves close to the 

 ground, must be more injurious to all other plants, whether weeds or clovers, 

 than it is to the grasses, and must have a tendency to give the latter an advan- 

 tage over the former. Sorrel is very abundant in some soils, and is almost 

 always indicative of an excess of ferruginous earths. The remedy in these 

 cases is the application of quicklime, which neutralises the ferruginous matter. 

 The lime may be given as a top-dressing on the surface of the pasture ; but 

 it is most effective when applied after the soil has been broken up, and kept 

 under corn crops a year or two, and then the lime applied when the soil is 

 in a dry and powdery state like itself. Ant-hills are also very common in 

 some pastures. They may be destroyed by breaking open the hills, and scat- 

 tering them abroad, repeating the operation whenever the hills begin to reap- 

 pear; because the principle on which success depends is, the interruption of 

 the insect's labours jn hatching its young, and in laying up its food for the 

 winter. If the interruption be continued, the ants will in a short time be 

 dispersed and die. The naked spaces from which the nests have been pared 

 of!" should be sown down with grass and clover seeds. Ants seldom appear 



