858 THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. BOOK ix. 



times termed "hard-head." It is a sure sign of poverty in the soil' 

 and possesses no feeding value, although the seed is, perhaps, the most 

 highly esteemed food of goldfinches. It is wiser to cut the plant before 

 it seeds, but manuring is the only permanent remedy. 



CORN MARIGOLD (Chrysanthemum segetum, L., nat. ord. Compo- 

 site), or yellow ox-eye. This plant grows amongst corn; in some 

 parts it is only found here and there, but in sandy districts it is a 

 most pernicious weed, growing so vigorously and multiplying so 

 rapidly as to ruin the crops ; it germinates late in the year, and 

 rapidly ripens its seed, which falls out, as a rule, in harvest, literally 

 covering the ground. Few weeds are so difficult to extirpate, or 

 more injurious to the crops among which they grow. The yellow 

 flower-heads and the seeds are poisonous, therefore when chaff 

 which comes from the threshing-machine contains many of them it 

 is unsafe for feeding purposes. It is possessed of great vitality, and, 

 when pulled up and thrown aside, does not perish and decompose, but 

 continues growing and ripens its seed. Thaer says that the seeds of 

 this plant will pass through the bodies of horses and other animals 

 without losing their vitality, and thus the chrysanthemum is sometimes 

 propagated by means of the dung. Frequent summer tillage will alone 

 destroy this weed, when once it has overrun the land. 



The BEARDED WILD OAT (Avena fatua, L., nat. ord. Gramineee). 

 This is another very pernicious weed, most commonly affecting heavy 

 land. As it ripens before corn crops, and sheds its seed on the land, it 

 is looked upon by heavy-land farmers as one of their most obnoxious 

 weeds. When once it has got a hold upon land it cannot be got rid of 

 without prolonged fallowings. See page 914. 



EYE BROME GRASS and SOFT BROME GRASS (Bromus secalinus, L., 

 and Bromus mollis, L., nat. ord. Gramineffi). These are found among 

 the weeds of cultivated land. They thrive chiefly in damp soils, and 

 will then often choke the crops, but on dr^y, gravelly, or sandy soils 

 they are scarcely ever met with. See page 922. 



The CHICKWEED (Stellaria media, With., nat. ord. Caryophyllacea3), 

 flowering from March to December, is, under careless management, 

 often a nuisance to the agriculturist. This and the groundsel are 

 very troublesome weeds, and will sometimes almost choke young 

 crops, but are comparatively harmless when crops have attained fair 

 growth. It has small white flowers, open almost all the year. It is 

 sometimes eaten as a potherb, and small birds are very fond of its 

 seeds. It is allied to the stitchwort of the hedgerows. 



CORN-COCKLE (Lychnis Githago, Lam.,), and CORN-SPURREY (Sper- 

 gula arvensis, L.), are both members of the nat. ord. Caryophyllacese, 

 or Pink Family, and come up singly. They indicate a poor soil, or 



