422 
Foulness  of  Land. 
while  to  clear  up  this  matter.  There  are  three  distinct  families 
of  weeds:  1,  annuals;  2,  weeds  with  tap-roots;  3,  weeds  with 
creeping  roots ; and  these  three  very  different  races  require  to 
be  dealt  with  in  entirely  different  ways.  First,  there  are  the 
annuals,  more  unsightly  than  mischievous,  unless  from  extra- 
ordinary negligence.  One  of  these,  however,  the  charlock,  has 
gained  the  mastery  of  a particular  district,  the  South  Down 
Hills.  I remember  it  in  1804  covering;  the  fields  near  Brighton 
with  a yellow  blaze,  and  filling  the  air  with  a sickly  odour  ; and 
still  it  may  be  seen  along  that  range,  sometimes  even  in  June, 
overtopping  the  barley,  the  crop  of  which  it  must  diminish  by  a 
quarter  an  acre.  Its  prevalence  there  arises  from  the  growth 
of  rape,  unlioed,  instead  of  turnips ; and  the  seeds,  once  ripened, 
being  oily,  may  lie  for  years  underground  without  injury,  until  they 
are  once  more  brought  to  the  surface.  They  should  be  removed 
by  bringing  fresh  seeds  to  the  surface,  allowing  these  to  shoot, 
and  burying  them  again  with  successive  plougliings  and  har- 
rowings.  Drilling  the  rape  and  hoeing  would  prevent  their  re- 
currence. But  the  yellow  hue  of  the  barley  fields  is  not  confined 
to  Sussex,  or  due  only  to  rape;  for  Mr.  Jonas,  a practical  farmer, 
in  his  excellent  Report  on  Cambridgeshire,  is  put  to  the  blush 
by  the  charlock  in  his  own  neighbourhood  : — 
“ Here  I must  admit  I am  quite  ashamed  of  my  county  ; for,  notwith- 
standing its  most  excellent  farming  in  many  parts,  we  still  continue  to  be 
disgusted  in  spring  by  whole  fields  of  barley  as  yellow  as  saffron  from  the 
charlock  in  blossom ; whereas,  by  strict  attention  for  a few  years,  never 
allowing  a head  to  seed,  they  might  be,  as  I have  known  them  to  be, 
completely  eradicated.” 
Another  gregarious  annual  with  oily  seeds,  the  wild  flax,  has 
been  found  equally  injurious  to  barley  near  Cannock  Chase.  The 
corn  marigold  I have  known  a serious  nuisance  upon  very  superior 
sandy  soil,  and  have  seen  it  removed  by  a moderate  dressing 
of  lime.  Chickweed  almost  stops  cultivation  on  some  fen-land 
in  Somersetshire  ; nor  do  I know  a remedy,  because,  hoe  it  as 
you  please,  the  slightest  shower  sets  it  again.  Annuals,  how- 
ever, in  general  are  easily  dealt  with : not  so  the  tap-rooted 
plants,  of  which  the  dock  is  a sample,  often  to  be  seen  upon 
slovenly  farms  proudly  waving  its  banner  over  the  harvest- field. 
These  are  anchored  in  the  subsoil  with  a slender,  carrot-shaped 
root,  against  which  neither  pulling  nor  ploughing  avails,  for  though 
broken  or  cut,  it  shoots  up  again.  The  only  remedy,  as  I know 
by  experience,  is  to  keep  an  old  man  at  work  for  several  winters 
digging  them  up  with  a paddle.  Yet  these  root-weeds  are  again 
more  ugly  than  mischievous.  They  strike  a stranger,  but  the 
real  injury  and  loss  arise  from  what,  if  unacquainted  with  farming, 
he  might  mistake  for  harmless  grass  coming  up  in  the  wheat- 
