Proceedings of the Farmers' Club. 475 



that there ever was a thoroughbred breed of hogs known as Cheshire. 

 There is no objection to the name Cheshire if the pretension regard- 

 ing the origin and breed be left off. I trust the coining convention 

 of swine-breeders will settle all these vexed questions, and that our 

 Jefferson county friends will be on hand to vindicate their excellent 

 swine. 



Exterminating the Wild Violet. 



Mr. J. E. Hopkins, Haddonfield, 1ST. J., complained that some roots 

 of the wild violet which his little daughter planted in the lawn six 

 years ago have increased and multiplied to such an extent that the 

 grass is almost exterminated. He has tried guano, marl, lime, stable 

 manure, etc., all of which seem to agree with the violets. What shall 

 he do about it ? Mr. Hopkins further said : 



Professor Cook, in his address, November 28, before your Club, 

 spoke of the effect of nitrate of soda as applied by Mr. Lawes of 

 Great Britain, rooting out the weeds more effectually than any other 

 dressing. But the clovers did not come in. Will nitrate of soda have 

 the same effect upon wild flowers as upon weeds % If so, how is it 

 applied ? I have on my farm a blue marl that will bring in the clovers 

 if we can only destroy the violets. It was on this marl bed I dis- 

 covered the fossil remains of the Hadrosaurus Foulkii, a copy of which 

 Professor Hawkins has set up for the use of your Central Park. 

 P. S. — Is cockle, ground with rye, injurious to stock? 



Mr. A. S. Fuller — I should not think there would be any difficulty 

 in destroying our native violets in grass lands. If the soil is made 

 rich enough to yield a heavy crop of hay, the violets and other small 

 weeds will be smothered. Top-dress the lawn this winter with manure 

 from the barn-yard and in March sow a quantity of timothy and red- 

 top seed, and next mow the lawn until the grass is fit to make into 

 hay, and I think the violets will disappear. Lawns that are kept cut 

 very close fpr several years in succession are liable to become foul with 

 weeds and mess, and they should occasionally have rest, or, in other 

 words, the grass should be allowed to come to maturity. Do this one 

 season, and the amount of good grass in the lawn can be readily 

 determined, and one can commence renovating understandingly. 



In regard to the gentleman's question about cockle in rye, I think 

 his stock will not be injured thereby. Of course I am not certain as 

 to the plant referred to, but suppose it is the Lychnis Gettrago, a 

 common weed found in grass fields almost everywhere. Its leaves 

 are somewhat hairy, flowers showy red purple, and seeds black ; it is 

 sometimes called corn cockle. 



