738 



Studies of Weeds. 



[march, 



conspicuous broad leaves become an eyesore to the farmer. It 

 is, however, essential to check seeding, and the plant should be 

 spudded or hoed out while in flower. This prevents the mis- 

 chief due to the distribution of ripe seed, and if properly done 

 many of the leaf-buds on the rootstock just below the surface 

 of the soil are. damaged, weakened, or destroyed at the same 

 time. 



2. Repeated spudding or hoeing of the leaves early in the 

 season, and later also, as recommended in Leaflet No. i66 (p. 9), 

 for creeping thistle, must be practised. This is especially 

 necessary where the plant is established on arable fields. 



3. Wherever possible the ground should be dried by well- 



FiG. 3. — Coltsfoot Seedlings. Six days— three weeks old (Natural size). 



placed drains. The plant does not succeed except where the 

 soil is stiff and retentive of moisture. 



4. Coltsfoot grows best, and is specially adapted to thrive, in 

 situations where the leaves have free, unrestricted exposure to 

 sunlight. Hence it succeeds on poor soils where other plants 

 are checked, the absence of competition favouring its access to 

 light. On arable land kept free from weeds it luxuriates 

 especially. In pastures and meadows it can be gradually de- 

 stroyed by the application of manures of a nitrogenous 

 character — farmyard manure, nitrate of soda, and similar mate- 

 rials — which encourage grass and other tall-growing herbage. 



5. Deep ploughing in the hotter periods of summer does 

 much to destroy it. 



John Percival. 



