WEED. 



Of th& firft. fort are thofe which are dufcribcd below, on 

 the autliority of the writer of the paper on weeds mentioned 

 above, and that of fome others. 



Cotton grafs, hare's-tail, or mofs crops, are weeds that 

 grow in bogs or boggy meadows ; and with the down of 

 which poor people fluff their pillows, and make the wicks 

 of candles. This weed is a certain indication that drainage 

 has been neglefted, and that it u of courfe necelfary to be 

 attended to and praftifed, in order to reflore the meadow 

 or other fuch land to the proper ftate for the growth of 

 good herbage. See Eriophorum Vaginatum, and Polyjla- 

 chion. 



Hog tveed, or cow parfnip, is a weed often fonnd in mea- 

 dows, but which is too coarfe and of too weedy a nature 

 and appearance to be fulfered to abound in well cultivated 

 and managed grafs-land, though, it is believed, that cattle 

 will eat it either green or in the ftate of hay : it is thought 

 that it may probably be weakened or deftroyed, by annually 

 cutting up in its early growth. See Heracleum Anguf- 

 t'lJoVnim, and Sphondyliutn. 



The latter is frequently met with, efpecially in moift 

 meadows in Chefliire. 



IV'dd cicely, or cow-weed, is a common weed in orchards, 

 hedges, meadows, and paftures. Cattle are faid to be fond 

 of it in the fpring, but it is too coarfe to be permitted or 

 encouraged among good herbage of the grafs kind ; and 

 as it flowers, and ripens its feeds before the graffes, it is a 

 bad and improper addition to tlie grafs-plants of both mea- 

 dow and pafture lands : it is frequent in the meadows of 

 Chefliire. It has been fuggefled, that this and the lafl 

 noticed plant may probably be worthy of a trial in cultiva- 

 tion by themfelves, as being of luxuriant growth, they 

 would yield a large produce : their value has not, however, 

 yet been fully afcertained ; nor efpecially in this method of 

 culture and management. See Ch.'EROPhyllum Syhejlre. 



Garlici, in the wild ftate, is a weed that is frequently 

 found in meadows and pafture lands, and which is confi- 

 dered as greatly injuring the latter when ufed for cows. 

 It is faid to give a difagreeable flavour to the produce of 

 the dairy, as butter and chcefe, but it does not feem that 

 cows much diflike or refufe to eat it. It is fuppofed, how- 

 ever, that this may probably happen on account of its being 

 fo much blended and intermixed with the other grafles, that 

 they cannot avoid cropping it a little. This weed is fre- 

 quent in the cow paftures of fome parts of Lancaftiire, 

 Gloucefterftiire, and moft probably many others. See 

 Allium Ampcloprafum. 



Ram/on is a weed that is found in fome meadows and 

 other grafs-lands, but more commonly in the hedges ; other 

 plants will not, it is faid, flouridi near it : cows eat it, but 

 it, like the above weed, gi.-es their milk and its produce a 

 garlic flavour : it fhould, of courfe, be weeded out of grafs- 

 lands as foon as difcovered and be deftroyed. See Allium 

 Urfinum. 



Ri/Jhes of different forts are a fort of weed-plants which 

 are not unfrequently met with in meadows and paftures, 

 efpecially when of the cold clayey kind, and which are a 

 fure indication that the land, in fuch cafes, wants the fuper- 

 fluous wetnefs removed ; which, when it has been etfefted, 

 always gives way to better herbage, though their extirpa- 

 tion arid deftruftion afterwards will be promoted and acce- 

 lerated by top drefliiigs of aflies and other matters. In the 

 Gloucefter Report on its Agriculture, it is ftated, that the 

 common rufli is an inliabitant of foils that are moift and 

 ftrong, that it abounds in the furrows of pafture-lands, and 

 on the mecrs or ftrips of grafs-land left between the grounds 

 in the vale of that county, as the dividing mark of different 



3 



properties, and that it is deftroyed in the manner above. 

 See JuNcus, different forts. Alfo Rush. 



Docks are weeds that are found in ftrong four heavy 

 land of the meadow and pafture kind. As thefe weeds are 

 refufed by moft forts of domeftic animals, they fliould be 

 rooted up after rain, and every pains be taken to deftroy 

 and remove them from grafs-land, which they injure greatly 

 by their fliade, and by caufing tlie herbage about them to 

 become rank. They are faid to be eaten only by fallow- 

 deer, by which their flourifliing in parks and pleafure- 

 grounds is prevented. It is remarked that in Gloucefter- 

 ftiire docks are extremely injurious to the herbage of paf- 

 ture -lands, bnt that if taken in time they may be eafily 

 conquered. If, however, they are permitted to ripen, they, 

 leave an immenfe quantity of feed for future crops ; and, 

 that being perennial, the evil is increafing in fuch a multi- 

 plied proportion, as almoft to exclude the growth of all 

 other plants. In a large meadow adjoining the county- 

 town, thefe weeds have matured and ftied their feeds, it is 

 faid, fo often, and for fo many years, that, at tlie time of 

 mowing, the whole appears like a crop of docks. Where 

 thefe weeds are not got up by the roots, it is ufeful, in fome 

 cafes, to cut through the ftalks under the ground ; and to 

 repeat the praftice as flioots are again thrown up. Se£ 

 RuMEX Crifpus, Acutus, Obtujifolius, &c. Alfo Weeding 

 Dock-Sph, &c. 



B'ljlort is a weed that, in fome places, occupies large 

 portions or patches in meadows, to the injury and deftruc- 

 tion of better herbage : it is a perennial, but may without 

 doubt be weakened or deftroyed by rooting up repeatedly. 

 The root is one of the ftrongeft vegetable aftringents, and 

 may probably be applied to many purpofes in the arts with 

 benefit. It is the inhabitant of moift meadows in Chefliire. 

 See Polygonum B'ljlorta. 



Wild campions are weeds often found abundantly in paf- 

 tures formed from ploughed lands : there are two forts, as 

 thofe with white and red flowers. Care fliould be taken to 

 exterminate them from fuch paftures by proper fallowing 

 the land when in the broken up ftate. See Lychnis 

 Dioica, Sec. 



Goo/e-tanjy, filver-weed, or feathered cinquefoil, is a weed 

 common in many paftures laid down from the arable ftate, 

 but generally untouched by cattle : it fliould therefore be 

 deftroyed and got rid of in the tillage ftate of the land, and 

 by keeping it free of ftagnant wetnefs. See Potentilla 

 Anferhm. 



Tanjey is a weed that is found in Gloucefterftiire, in 

 fome paftures by the fide of the Severn, and in a few other 

 places in that county, but not in abundance, as well per- 

 haps as in fome others, efpecially in the northern parts of 

 the kingdom. It is an unpleafant weed, it is faid, which 

 fliould be eradicated by the fpade, or fome other proper 

 means. See Tanacetum Vulgare. 



Pdeiuorl is a wetd that flowers very early in the fpring, 

 and abounds in fliady or moift pafture ground ; it fome- 

 times occupies much room in fome meadows, and chokesi 

 other plants which grow near it ; and not being eaten by 

 cattle, it fliould certainly be extirpated : nothing difcou- 

 rages its increafe more than coal and wood-afties, the writers 

 of the Flora Ruftica fuppofe. See Ficaria Verna, and 

 Ranunculus Ficaria. 



Loufeiuort, or red-rattle, is a weed found in moift mea- 

 dows and paftures, and, it is thought, rarely but where the 

 land is in want of being rendered dry : it is faid to be very, 

 difagreeable to cattle, and injurious to flieep, giving them, 

 the fcab, and occafioning them to be overrun with vermin : 

 it is believed, however, that thefe injuries are principally 



caufed 



s 



