WEEDS 105 



effect that one year's seeding means seven years' weed- 

 ing, and there is -wisdom in it ; but rare indeed must be 

 the gardens where in some odd corner weeds do not 

 succeed each year in ripening and scattering their seeds. 

 As soon as a weed is seen, it should be pulled up, or 

 Dutch-hoed off, and, if it have not a perennial root, 

 straightway buried in the garden or used as a mulch 

 round shrubs or herbaceous plants. In addition to its 

 primary object, the mere pulling up of weeds, or hoeing 

 off their heads, is of the utmost value in loosening the 

 surface of the ground, and so checking evaporation and 

 the conduction of heat. In fighting with weeds, garden 

 flowers will be much assisted by deep cultivation, rich 

 soil, and a provision of those general conditions which 

 conduce to their health and vigour. As a rule the 

 annual weeds are kept under with comparative ease, it 

 usually being the perennials with spreading roots which 

 give the real trouble. In preparing a piece of ground, 

 every piece of such root — be it of couch grass, bind- 

 weed, or what not — should be picked out and burnt. 

 Then, if, through several seasons, every shoot of 

 perennial weed be pulled off directly it is seen, they 

 will eventually be subdued or even vanquished. For 

 weedy paths, it is no longer necessary to spend hours 

 or days in hand-weeding with basket and knife — his- 

 torically interesting though that practice is. All that 

 is now required is to water the paths, when dry, with 

 a solution made by boiling five ounces of powdered 

 arsenic in a gallon of water, stirring the while, and then 

 adding two gallons of cold water, and half a pound of 

 soda. 



Such is the fate of the man who would be a gardener. 

 He must wage constant battle with flowers whose beauty 

 he can but acknowledge. He must be full of zeal for 

 the murder of plants he is bound to love and admire. 

 It is a little like hitting a woman ; and, when one sees 



