Extirpation of Weeds. 251 



wafted by the wind, fix and vegetate thereon ; under the shelter of these other 

 vegetables appear, and the whole soon becomes fertile; and the heads of most of 

 the species, he observes, may be boiled and eaten as artichokes. 



47. Coltsfoot (Tussilago faifara), very apt to abound in hard tilled land. Lord 

 Hawke informed me, at the Board of Agriculture, " that the only time to destroy this 

 weed, is by cutting it up in those months when it begins to throw out its flower, at 

 which time, if so cut, it will bleed to death ;" these months are February and March, 

 at which time all land in fallow, subject to this weed, should certainly be ploughed, 

 and harrowed down, which would doubtless check the growth of, and very much 

 weaken, the plant ; neglected at this time, it will soon after ripen its seed, which 

 furnished by nature with feathers, flies all over the country, and establishes itself 

 very quickly on culnvated land, and banks of earth newly thrown up. This weed 

 may be considerably weakened by repeated summer ploughings, and may after- 

 wards, for the greatest part, be weeded out By hand, as the ground is thus rendered 

 light. 



48. Groundsel (S.enecio vulgaris), ohzn found in fallows, on good soil rendered 

 fine by cultivation, as its seeds ripen rapidly, and fly over the country with the 

 wind : the plant should be destroyed in time, by weeding out, or ploughing under, 

 and the seed by no means permitted to ripen. 



49. Corn marigold, goulans, goul, huddle in Norfolk (Chrysanthemum segetumj, 

 an extremely troublesome weed in some soils; an annual plant, producing seed 

 plentifully, which vegetate whenever the soil is cultivated, and very commonly in 

 crops ; would doubtless be destroyed, like other annual seedlings, by early and 

 complete fallowing, to bring the seeds in due time into vegetation, and afterwards 

 ploughing the plant under ; in Denmark there is a law to oblige the farmers to 

 root it up. Withering. It is stated in the Statistical Account of Scotland, 

 Vol. II. p. 4, that the late Sir William Grerson, of Lag, held goul (Chrysanibemum) 

 courts as long as he lived, for the purpose of fining such farmers on whose growing 

 crop three heads, or upwards, of this weed were found ; and it is observed by the 

 President of the Board of Agriculture, that " some regulation of police for fining 

 those who harbour weeds, the seeds of which may be blown into their neighbours* 

 grounds, has no injustice in the principle." If this plant be cut when young in 

 flower, and dried, horses will eat it. Flora Rustica. 



50. Stinking May weed (Anthemis cotulaj, common in corn fields, though often 



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