WEEDS. Q 



such a character would be incomplete and barren of 

 good result unless accompanied by a regulation 

 placing a liability to prosecution on such landowners 

 or farmers as allow weeds to grow and seed on their 

 land. It is obvious that there is not much use in my 

 going to the trouble of cleaning my land, or taking 

 pains to procure seeds of high purity, if there is a weed 

 nursery on a neighbouring farm, or on some contiguous 

 railway embankment or piece of common. 



The Case of Ireland. 



Those remarks apply with much force to the sister 

 kingdom of Ireland ; of which it has been said with 

 perfect truth that, as far as weeds are concerned, she 

 is the richest country in the world. 



Dr. Macauley, in his " Tour of Observation in 

 Ireland in. 1872," says: "The amount of weeds is a 

 national disgrace. It is not uncommon to see a ton 

 of weeds in a dozen tons of hay. Many a field has 

 more weeds than a whole parish in England. Fields 

 and roadsides are alike neglected, and weeds help to 

 keep Ireland green but poor. I never saw such a 

 country for weeds. I am sure it is no exaggeration 

 to say that the direct loss to Ireland from weeds is 

 above a million and a half sterling per annum, and 

 I have heard the loss estimated at nearly double that 

 amount." Those remarks, written fourteen years ago, 

 are ec[uaUy true to-day. From observations made 

 during a recent and extensive tour in Ireland, the 

 writer can indorse every word of the above; indeed, 

 it is a question whether matters are not now in a 

 worse condition — as fourteen years of unchecked re- 



