2 WEEDS. 



by sending out side-shoots, which root and form 

 distinct plants — is able to create a large colony of 

 weed tufts, they would, if allowed, soon take entire 

 possession of the iield. 



3. Bunning Weeds. — Such as Coltsfoot, Stinging 

 Nettle, Brake Fern, Couch-grass, &c. These not 

 only increase by seeds, but almost each joint or 

 division of the creeping root (rhizome) is capable 

 of producing a separate plant. They are amongst the 

 most troublesome in the whole list, and they are very 

 exhaustive to the soil. Again, the ordinary processes 

 of agriculture only result in propagating them by sub- 

 division — the patches get broken up only to be spread 

 over a large area. Removing the underground stems 

 is the only effectual way of dealing with this class 

 of weed, — a special attack with a three-prong fork, for 

 instance, would be found detrimental to their existence. 



4. Deep Booted Weeds. — Such as the Dock, Burdock, 

 Marsh MaUow, Eagwort, and Wild Carrot. They are 

 for the most part biennial, and seed the second year. 

 Some of them can be easily pulled up by hand when 

 the ground is soft after rain, or they can be mastei-ed 

 by hoeing if cut below the crown. The foregoing 

 operations should be performed before the seeds of 

 the weeds are perfected, otherwise the ground may 

 be stocked with fresh seed, and the weeding process 

 have to be repeated all over again on a future occasion. 

 After having pulled or cut the weeds they should be 

 burned, as their fleshy taproots possess great vitality — 

 and they have the capacity of perfecting their seed even 

 after being pulled up. 



Most of the common species of weeds will be 

 found to complete their growth and ripen their seeds 



