Extirpation of Weeds. 243 



in considerable quantity, ground into flour with wheat, and the bread eaten hot, 

 is said to be produce deleterious effects on the human body ; and if malted with 

 barley, the ale soon occasions drunkenness. Withering. 



9. Goose grass, catchweed, cleavers, here called hariff (Galium aparine, and 

 spuriumj, seeds roundish, rough, two from each flower, so large as not all to be 

 easily separated from the grain in dressing. I have known this plant very trouble- 

 some in a wheat crop, twining and crawling up the straw or stem : it is not very 

 common in well managed crops, but more generally confined to hedges. 



10. Field scabious (Scabiosa arvensisj, found in corn fields and pastures, but 

 not much abounding. 



11. Parsleypiert (Apbanes arvensisj, a diminutive weed of small account, but 

 sometimes rather too much abounding ; might, probably, be weakened by very 

 early in the spring pulverising the land when in fallow, and ploughing the plant 

 under in due time. 



1 2. Dodder (Cuscuta EuropceaJ, a parasitical weed, of which I have not much 

 experience, but am informed by Mr. Dickenson, that it is not uncommon in his 

 neighbourhood. Some years ago, in travelling through Buckinghamshire, I ob- 

 served this plant twining round the stems of a bean crop, and brought away a 

 specimen ; it climbs in a spiral direction round the stems, from which, by means 

 of vessels, it draws its nourishment, and must, consequently, very much fret and 

 injure any plant to which it is attached : it is called (as stated somewhere in 

 Young's Annals), beggar weed, hell weed, and devils guts, names which suffi- 

 ciently shew in what estimation it is held by farmers. The plant is annual, and 

 produced from seed, which takes no root in the earth, but in its foster plant. 



13. Corn bindweed (Convolvulus arvensisj, another troublesome parasitical 

 weed, often growing amongst wheat, and when abundant, twining round the corn, 

 and very much injuring the crop : when wheat has been laid by heavy rain, I have 

 observed this plant increase in growth so as to hold it down fast, and prevent it 

 rising again ; it is not so common here in Staffordshire as I have observed it in 

 some of the counties nearer London, from whence we are in the habit of procuring 

 seed wheat ; on which account I have sometimes feared we should import it more 

 abundantly by this means, but have since observed that the seed is small and 

 easily dressed out ; the plant is perennial, and much addicted to running in the 



I i2 



