NOTES ON WORTHLESS GRASSES, ETC. 153 



are first turned out of their winter quarters, tufts of Garlic- 

 Mustard, Yellow Rocket, and Crow Garlic are very tempting ; 

 but they are all milk-tainting plants, and should not be 

 permitted to exist where live-stock have access. 



Buttercups (Ranunculus acris and R. bulbosus). — These 

 two varieties are common in meadows and pastures, and in 

 their green state taint the milk of cows that eat them. The 

 volatile, acrid constituent is dissipated when the plants are 

 dried and made into hay. Of the two, R. bulbosus is less 

 acrid than R. acris, and stock are less disposed to eat the 

 latter, which flowers later in the season than the former. 

 A satisfactory mode of extirpating Buttercups has yet to 

 be discovered. They are too numerous to be dealt with 

 individually, but they occupy so much space that no reason- 

 able effort should be spared to weaken their growth. Early 

 mowing checks them, and a generous dressing of farmyard 

 and artificial manures assists the valuable herbage, while it 

 discourages the development of Buttercups. 



Crowfoot, Celery = leaved (Ranunculus sceleratus), is by 

 far the most poisonous of our native Ranunculi. It imme- 

 diately affects the milk of cows that eat the leaves, and has 

 been known to cause the death of young stock. The habit ot 

 the plant is erect ; the leaves glossy, rather fleshy, and divided, 

 somewhat resembling those of celery ; the small pale yellow 

 flowers appear throughout the summer, and, like the leaves, 

 emit a strong nauseous odour when bruised. This species can 

 be exterminated by pulling up the plants, which is very easily 

 done ; and if ditches and ponds are thoroughly cleaned for a 

 couple of seasons, during May or June, Celery-leaved Crowfoot 

 will cease to be troublesome. 



Deadly Nightshade (Atropa Belladonna). — A poisonous 

 plant found in waste places on chalky and limestone soils, 



