30 



WEEDS. 



is to gather by hand, and cairy the plants off the field, 

 after being cut by the hoe, especially when the number is 

 great, as a multitude of roots seldom fail in catching hold of 

 the earth, and thus continue their existence, though the bear- 

 ing of seeds has been prevented. 



24. " Melilot," or the Trefolium mehlotus" of botany, is 

 a very troublesome weed in some corn-growing districts. 

 Legumes naked, racemed, two-seeded, wrinkled, acute. 

 Stem erect. Root annual, strong, woody. Stem upright, 

 grooved, yellowish green, two feet high or more, with spread- 

 ing alternate branches. 



The Melilot clovers form the first division of the genus, 

 having the legumes naked, and many-seeded. 



This plant grows wild in most parts of Europe, by way- 

 sides, in pastures and in corn fields. It is a very injurious corn 

 weed ; flowers in June, and the seeds ripen with the corn, 

 and being ground with the grain the flour of wheat gets a 

 strong unpleasant taste. But it is a good pasture plant; 

 horses are very fond of it ; cows, sheep and swine eat it, and 

 bees delight to draw its nectary. It propagates very readily 

 by the root and the seeds, and therefore a very careful fallow- 

 ing of the land by the modes already recommended, becomes 

 necessary for its extirpation. 



25. The " Feverfew," or the " Pyrethrum" of botany, is a 

 very common weed in corn fields. The plant belongs to the 

 class and order " Syngenesia polygamia superflua " of 

 Linneus, and the natural order " Corymbiferse" of Jussieu. 



Generic character. — Calyx hemispherical, imbricated ; the 

 scales close-pressed, rather acute, membranous at the edges. 

 Corolla compound, radiated. Florets of the disk perfect, 

 numerous, tubular, funnel-shaped, with five spreading seg- 

 ments ; those of the radius more than twelve ; female ligulate, 

 elliptic, oblong, three-toothed. Stamina in the perfect florets ; 

 filaments five, capillary very short ; anthers, united into a 

 cylinder, hardly so long as the corolla. Pistil : germen 

 in all the florets, obovate style, thread-shaped, longer than 

 the stamens ; stigmas two, divaricated, abrupt. Pericarp 

 none, the calyx remaining unaltered. Seeds nearly ahke in 



