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JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



standing somewhat erect at first (fig. 16). The seedhngs some- 

 times occur in dense clusters. Many seedlings may be found near 

 an old plant. The true leaves are stalked, oval, and slightly pointed, 

 quickly assuming the inversely heart-shaped character of the mature 

 leaves. 



The Dandelion is a final example of a composite weed. It is a 

 perennial and is most troublesome in grass land. The rootstock is 

 large and deep-seated; the leaves are oblong-obovate or spathulate, 

 with toothed lobes, and Tie almost flat on the ground in a rosette, so 

 damaging and smothering the herbage; and the heads of yellow 

 flowers on long smooth stalks bear many fruits with a pappus attach- 

 ment to ensure distribution by the wind. We have a record of 



Fig. 16. — Seedling of Burdock (Arctium Lappa L.). 

 a, cotyledon stage; h, showing first leaf; c, later stage. Natural size. 



one plant on which were 27 flowering heads, one of which bore 200 

 fruits — or 5400 on the plant. To reduce dandelions thorough manur- 

 ing is necessary to encourage a better type of herbage; and spudding 

 might be practised were it not so tedious and expensive. Bolley has 

 already been quoted as to the effect of spraying with copper sulphate. 

 A 5 per cent, solution of copper sulphate (160 gallons per acre), or a 

 15 per cent, solution of iron sulphate, appears to destroy the leaves 

 and flowering stems and prevent seeding. The seedlings bear oval, 

 elongate oval or nearly spathulate cotyledons. 



The Scarlet Pimpernel belongs to the order Primulaceae. It occurs 

 in arable fields and gardens, the small bright scarlet flowers opening 

 in fine dry weather and closing when dull and wet, so giving rise to 

 the name " poor man's weather glass." It is a small branched weed, 



