314 Annual Report for 1908 of the Consulting Botanist. 
Weeds are not easily prevented from shedding their seeds. 
Hand pulling can be recommended only in small areas, or 
where ^he weed occurs in patches. Hand or horse hoeing is 
not practicable in pastures or densely growing crops. In the 
case of meadows full of weeds it is most important that the 
hay should be cut before the weeds have begun to form seed, 
though it may not be the best time for haymaking. 
The use of the comparatively newly-invented seed catcher, 
now employed in Germany, is desirable. It can be attached to 
the reaping machine, and saves from dispersion in the field a 
large number of the seeds of useless plants. Without careful 
and continued attention in cleaning the field, the weeds will get 
the mastery. Nothing hinders their increase. Stock do not 
touch them, so they freely flower and seed, whereas the valuable 
plants in the pasture being closely eaten are not allowed, in a 
well-fed meadow, to run to seed. 
A weed has been frequently sent to the Laboratory for 
information under the name of dodder, but which has no 
connection with the parasite properly so called. The weed 
is spurrey ( Spergula arvensis Linn.). The name dodder 
seems to be applied to it in various parts of England, and 
the description and properties of the true dodder as given in 
books differ so much from this annual weed that it has puzzled 
many. It is a troublesome annual weed in corn and other 
cultivated fields and has obtained no less than twenty-one 
common names in different districts of England. It is looked 
upon as a pernicious weed, and has been called beggar-weed, 
farmers’-ruin, make-beggar, pick-pocket, poverty-weed, &c. 
Sir W. J. Hooker says : “ Cattle are fond of this plant, and it 
is an object of culture in Holland.” In other Continental 
countries the plant is frequently grown, especially on land 
which is too poor for anything else. It is well known that 
without attention it soon spreads over the whole farm. The 
chemical analysis of the weed shows that it is of some feeding 
value and that theoretically it is not far behind red clover. 
This is seen in the following analysis of spurrey and red 
clover : — 
Spurrey 
Red clover 
Green 
Dried 
Green 
Dried 
Dry substance 
Per cent. 
20'8 
Per cent. 
860 
Per cent. 
19-8 
Per cent. 
860 
Protein . . . . 
2’9 
11-8 
36 
16-7 
Fat 
0-7 
2-7 
0-7 
2'4 
Other nitrogenous matter 
8-8 
342 
8-5 
333 
Woody fibre .... 
61 
27-8 
5-6 
25-4 
Ashes ..... 
2-3 
9-5 
1-4 
8-2 
