WEED. 



cultivated land by the wind ; that there are fome kinds of 

 hedge-weeds, too, which bear the charafter of being inju- 

 rious to live-dock ; thefe, if the obfervation be well founded, 

 ought, it is faid, to be well cleared from the hedges that 

 fuch ftock frequent ; and that, laftly, the improper fpecies 

 of the vegetable kingdom, compofing or growing in hedges, 

 may be termed hedge-weeds, becaufe they prevent the main 

 objeft and end of fuch hedges, that of dividing, fencing out, 

 and defending the land in a proper manner. 



The moft hurtful weeds and plants of this fort are, 



Catch-weed, or cleavers, a weed that has a tendency to 

 choke and injure young hedges, by means of its numerous 

 creeping and twining rough branches : it (hould, of courfe, 

 be well cleaned out in due time, before it fpreads itfelf much 

 in the bottom of the fence. See Galium sparine. 



Great blnd-'weed is a plant of this fort that is injurious in 

 fome hedges, by twining round the growing quick or other 

 plants, and reftrifting their growth : its roots fhould confe- 

 quently be extirpated from fuch fituations, which may pro- 

 bably be worth colledling for medicinal ufes, as the infpif- 

 fated juice of them compofe fcammony, a powerful purga- 

 tive remedy. It is eaten greedily, too, by hogs without in- 

 jury. See Convolvulus Septum. 



Great luild climber is a weed-plant common in hedges, and 

 which, in the chalk counties, is faid provincially to be 

 called old man's beard, from the hoary appearance of the 

 plant after flowering, the feeds being furnifhed with nume- 

 rous grey hoary tails. It is very injurious to hedge-fences, 

 as the leaf-ftalks twine about any thing they can lay hold 

 of, and thus fupport the plant, which is large, luxuriant, and 

 heavy, without any ftrength to fupport itfelf, and by its 

 weight hauhng down, obftrufting the proper growth, and 

 deforming the fences of this kind. Withering remarks, 

 that the fine hairs that give the cottony appearance are, he 

 apprehends, too (hort to be employed in manufafture, 

 though, it is probable, they may be ufed to advantage for 

 the Huffing of chairs. See Clematis Vttalba. 



Wild hop, ladies' feal, or black bryony, and wild vine 

 or bryony, are all weed-plants common in hedges, where 

 they are fuppofed to be fomewhat injurious to the hedge- 

 fences. They do mifchief in thefe fituations, by crowding 

 and fmothering up the hedge-plants, and preventing their 

 healthy and vigorous growth, as well as by taking away 

 the proper nourilhment from their roots. See HuMULUS 

 Cupulus, Tamus Communis, and Bryonia Dioica. 



Tiiere are other fpreading, twining, and climbing weed- 

 plants, which are occafionally very injurious and troublefome 

 in hedges ; fuch as the common ivy, which fpreads and creeps 

 on the banks, and runs up and winds round the ftems of the 

 plants, greatly injuring and impeding their growth and 

 ftrength; the honey-fuckle, which binds itfelf clofely about 

 the italks and branches of the hedge-woods, doing them 

 much injury in different ways ; and the briar, which extends 

 its rampant (hoots in various direftions, to the great annoy- 

 ance and mifchief of the hedge -plants in many cafes. All 

 thefe (hould be eradicated and cleared out from hedges in 

 moft cafes, as they conftantly tend to weaken and render 

 them in bad condition. See Heder.\ Helix, Lonicera 

 Periclym num, and RcsA Canina. 



Sotu-thijlkt, large rough thiftles, knap-weeds, and rag- 

 wort, are weeds that have been already noticed, and are 

 great nuifances in hedges, if their feeds be fufiered to ripen 

 in fuc!i fituations. The common nettle, too, is fometimes 

 found in hedges to their great injury. They (liould all, 

 therefore, be extirpated and cleared out from hedges in 

 their early growth, to prevent future inereafe. 



In addition to thefe, the writer of the above paper has 



given the following, the feeds of which are furnifhed witfi 

 feathers too, and they are capable of being carried to a great 

 diftance. 



Tellow devil's hit, wild lettuce, yellow hawk-weed, bu(hy 

 hawk-weed, and fmooth hawk's-beard, are weeds often 

 troublefome in hedges, and which ihould be Jtept well 

 weeded out at an early period. See Leontodon Autum- 

 nale, Lactuca Virofa, Hieracium Murorum et Umbella- 

 tum, and Crepis TeBorum. 



Burdock is a well-known plant of the weed kind, that 

 (hould not be fuffered to perfeft its feed in hedges, as it is 

 of very luxuriant growth, and of courfe very injurious and 

 difagreeable in fuch fituations. Withering afferts, that 

 before the flowers appear, the ftems, (hipped of their rind, 

 may be boiled and eat as afparagus ; and that when raw, 

 they are good with oil and vinegar. See Arctium 

 • Lappa. 



Dog's mercury is a weed faid to be noxious to (heep, and 

 which is very common and abundant in fome hedges, ap- 

 pearing very early in the fpring, when fheep-food is the moft 

 fcarce ; on which account it is thought ftill more danger- 

 ous, if it be fo at all. When in very large quantity it may 

 be hurtful to hedges, and (hould be kept under. See Mer- 

 CURIALIS Perennis. 



Barberry is a frequent plant in fome hedges ; if 

 found to really polfefs a blighting quality, it fhould be re- 

 moved from the hedges of corn-fields. See Berberris 

 J^ulgaris. 



It is advifed by the author of the above paper, that thefe, 

 as well as other plants of a fimilar nature, together with all 

 luxuriant weeds and (hoots of the bramble kind, and what- 

 ever elfe grows beyond the bounds of the hedge-fence, 

 (hould be brufhed out of fuch hedges about the middle of 

 the fummer, as is very often done in fome counties, as Staf- 

 fordfhire, for the fake of their afhes, which are worth all 

 the labour and expence incurred in burning them, &c. 



Weeds injurious in Woods and Plantations of different 

 Kinds. — The weed-plants which are neceffary to be con- 

 fidered under this head, are not very numerous : thofe 

 which are given below are the chief of fuch as are peculiar 

 to or commonly found in fituations of this nature, where no 

 art has been ufed. They are the moft common herbs and 

 plants which are fpontaneoufly produced in woods and 

 plantations without attending to the timber and underwood 

 forts ; but many other kinds are to be met with, which are 

 lefs common, and which have been lefs noticed and con- 

 fidered. 



Enchanters' night-Jhade is a weed found in the woods of 

 Bedfordfhire, and fome other counties, and by no means un- 

 common. See ClRC.E Lutetiana. 



Wood-reed is a weed met with in many woods. See 

 Arundo Arenaria. 



Woodroffe is a weed common in many woods about 

 Enfield, in Sta(ford(hire, and Berk(hire. Sometimes very 

 plentiful. See Asperula Odorata. 



Wild angelica is a weed common both in woods and 

 hedges, in many places. See Angelica Sylvejlris. 



Solomon's feal, or wood lily, is a weed found in woods 

 in many different parts of the kingdom. See CoN- 

 vallaria. 



Englifh hyacinth, or hare-bell, and willow herbs, are weeds 

 in fome woods. See HyAclNTHUS non Scrlptus, and Epi- 



LOBIUM. 



Bilberry is a weed met with in moift woods in many 

 parts of tire country. See Vaccinium Myrtillus. 



Wintergreen is a vveed-plant met with in the moor-land 



woods 



