WEEDS 165 



other agents in seed dispersal. Even after years of 

 cultivation, weeds continue to make their appearance, 

 owing to the great distances to which the seeds of many 

 plants can travel. The seeds of weeds, moreover, are 

 often introduced in stable and farmyard manures, and 

 compost. For this reason, it is desirable that manures 

 of this description should be well rotted before being 

 used. 



In getting rid of weeds it is very important to 

 remove them before they have had an opportunity of 

 ripening their seeds. If this precaution is not taken the 

 cultivator will never have his land clean, and will be 

 subject to unending trouble and expense. Many weeds 

 propagate themselves by suckers and rooting branches ; 

 as, for example, couch grass or twitch, coltsfoot, dande- 

 lions. It is essential that these should be completely 

 dug up and destroyed ; merely chopping them with a 

 hoe or spade only helps in spreading them, and thus to 

 cause future trouble. 



The kinds of weeds which make their appearance 

 in any particular place often indicate very clearly the 

 character of the soil. Such knowledge may be of con- 

 siderable use to the cultivator, for he may often thus, at 

 a glance, learn facts of great value concerning certain 

 areas. 



The traveller's joy or old man's beard (Clematis], 

 fumitory, rock rose, and salad burnet are almost entirely 

 confined to chalky or limestone soils, and the beech, 

 yew, box and wild guelder rose are often characteristic. 

 Sandy localities are often easily distinguishable by the 

 presence of heaths, furze, broom, whortleberry, Spanish 



