WEEDS. 



destruction, and vegetate as soon as 

 tliey are placed in a favourable situ- 

 ation. Those which are buried deep 

 lie dormant for a lonjj time, and ve- 

 getate as soon as the plough brings 

 Ihein up again. 



"The experienced farmer knows 

 well what peculiar species of weeds 

 infest his fields, according to the soil 

 and situation ; and by studying their 

 habits, time of flowering, and of ri- 

 pening their seed, he learns the best 

 mode of destroying them. 



" One of the greatest advantages 

 of composts made with human excre- 

 ments mixed with earths and mmeral 

 substances is, that they introduce no 

 weeds into the soil. It is reported 

 that in China, where the dung of cat- 

 tle is little used, in comparison with 

 human excrements, no weeds are to 

 be found in the fields ; and if more 

 attention were paid to the preserva- 

 tion of this highly enriching manure, 

 and its proper application to the soil, 

 much expense would be saved which 

 is now unavoidably incurred in de- 

 stroying weeds. 



" Feeding slieep on roots and corn, 

 while they are folded on the land, is 

 another mode of manuring a field, 

 without introducing weeds, especially 

 if no hay is given them, except clo- 

 ver hay of the second crop, which is 

 generally most free from the seeds 

 of weeds. It would be impossible to 

 enumerate all the various weeds 

 which may infest our fields. This 

 would be giving a flora of all the 

 British plants ; but we will select 

 some of the most common and troub- 

 lesome to the farmer, with such an 

 account of each as may suggest the 

 most ready means of destruction. 



" Of the annual weeds, we may 

 mention the following, noticed by 

 Professor Low, in his Elements of 

 Practical Agriculture : 



" Sinapis arvensis, or wild mustard, 

 usually called charlock, is a weed the 

 seeds of which, being of an oily na- 

 ture, will remain dormant in the soil 

 for an indefinite time, if buried above 

 six inches. Hence some farmers 

 fear to deepen their ploughings, 

 which otherwise would be very ad- 

 840 



vantageous, because Iheyhave found 

 that, in some soils, a ploughing be- 

 yond six inches deep will cause the 

 crop to be overrun with charlock, so 

 as to choke it with its yellow flowers. 

 It only requires a little resolution, 

 and an outlay which will be well re- 

 paid in the end, to destroy this enemy 

 Hoed crops will destroy the plants as 

 they come up. Winter tares, which 

 may be cut before the charlock per- 

 fects its seeds, will help to destroy 

 it, and if they are succeeded by tur- 

 nips, there will be little charlock left 

 in autumn. Wherever it appears 

 and raises its yellow flower it must 

 be pulled out, whatever be the cost, 

 and care must be taken to carry the 

 plants out of the field to burn or rot 

 them ; for the seeds will vegetate 

 when they are but half ripe in the 

 pods. We have dwelt at length on 

 this weed, because it is one which 

 infests many of our best soils, and 

 which must be eradicated before the 

 land can be properly cultivated. 



" Somewhat allied to the last is 

 the wild radish {Raphanus raphaiiis- 

 trum), which is often also called char- 

 lock ; the mode of destruction is the 

 same. 



" Papaver rhosas, or corn poppy, 

 infests some soils in particular sea- 

 sons. If the seed is allowed to ripen 

 and shed, it will increase rapidly ; 

 good tillage, however, soon destroys 

 it ; clover and tares which are cut 

 while the poppy is in flower general- 

 ly eradicate it. In some seasons it 

 will appear in great profusion, and in 

 others not a plant will be seen. 



" Ccntaurea cyanus, or blue-bottle, 

 is seldom found in any quantity, ex- 

 cept where there is a slovenly cul- 

 ture, or two white crops are taken in 

 succession, a practice which, it is 

 hoped, will soon be obsolete. 



" Chrysanthemum scgetum, corn 

 marigold, infests some soils, and 

 must be eradicated by careful weed- 

 ing ; when the crops are drilled, this 

 is not a diflicult task. 



" Pijrethrum inodorum, corn fever- 

 few, often called May-weed, as is 

 also the wild camomile, often infests 

 the crops of grain, and with every 



