HOEING, RAKING, AND WEEDING. 
295 
plants ; and the latter, in fact, often furnish 
a sure index to the nature of the former. 
These peculiar races of weeds generally give 
way gradually under the process of cultiva- 
tion. Others are the common plants which 
seem to follow man wherever he locates him- 
self, such plants heing common everywhere 
in cultivated ground, and in the neighbour- 
hood of habitations ; and are probably seen 
mainly in these situations only because there 
the conditions are most favourable to their de- 
velopment. Other weeds are brought on to the 
ground with manures and composts, these 
sources furnishing a constant supply of weedy 
plants of various characters, according to the 
source whence they themselves are obtained, 
this class of weeds being especially numerous, 
when the materials of the compost are obtained 
from the wayside. Whatever their origin, 
however, the same modes of clearance are 
effectual with them all. 
There are two distinct groups into which 
weeds may be classed, namely, annual weeds, 
and perennial weeds, each of which requires 
a distinct and separate course of treatment 
for its complete eradication. 
Annual weeds are most easily cleared off. 
The destruction of every annual plant, if done 
before it perfects and disseminates seed — 
which is a necessary condition — is a total de- 
struction. It can in that case give rise to no 
succeeding progeny. All that is necessary, 
therefore, to rid ground completely of annual 
weeds, is a moderate degree of perseverance 
and diligence to destroy continually as they 
spring up, and before the plants have time to 
from seeds, each succeeding race. It must 
not, however, be supposed that even by this 
means the soil will be rendered absolutely free 
from such weeds. Seeds lie buried in the soil 
for years in a latent state ; and the products 
of former years therefore supply a continued 
source of fresh plants, as those portions of 
soil in which the seeds are embedded are 
brought within the influence of air and 
warmth. Many kinds of seeds likewise travel 
long distances by various vehicles, so that 
surrounding neglected spots — not necessarily 
very adjacent — will furnish their quota for 
the renewal of the crop. Notwithstanding 
these drawbacks, there is still a great advan- 
tage derived from the destruction of weeds of 
this character when very young, for their 
progeny, which would under the circum- 
stances supply the most numerous proportion 
of the succeeding crop, is thereby avoided ; 
and if the practice thus strongly recommended 
is well followed up, the labour of keeping the 
surface clear of weeds will be reduced to the 
removal merely of a few stray plants, instead 
of a thick-set crop. To keep the soil com- 
paratively free from annual weeds, therefore, 
it is recommended, first, to destroy them con- 
tinually, as they spring up from time to time, 
while they are quite young, and always before 
they have had time and opportunity to form, 
mature, or disperse a crop of seeds ; and, 
secondly, to take care that in no waste cor- 
ners are any plants left to mature their seeds, 
and from these unthought-of places to dis- 
seminate them over the garden. 
The principal annual weeds which are 
troublesome in gardens are the following : — 
Chickweed ( Stellar i a media), groundsel ( Se- 
necio vulgaris), and the common annual grass 
(Poa annua), which abound everywhere, and 
with which every one must be familiar. Al- 
most equally common are various species of 
speedwell ( Veronicasp.), dead nettle (Lamium 
purpureum), sun spurge (Euphorbia helio- 
scopia), and shepherd's-purse (G'apsetlabarsa- 
pastoris). Less general, but abundant in 
certain situations, are the fumitory (Fumaria 
officinalis), sow-thistle (Sonchus oleraceus), 
spurrey(*S/9e?'^wZafl? , re»s?'s),Jack-by-the-hedge 
(Alliaria officinalis), poppy (Papacer Rhoeas), 
and charlock (Sinapis arveniis) ;the two latter 
are sometimes exceedingly common in corn- 
fields. Near rubbish heaps, and in waste 
places generally, various kinds of Atriplex 
and Chenopodium, as well as the annual 
nettle (TJrtica wrens), and the black night- 
shade (Solanum nigrum), are met with, and 
usually in abundance. In some gardens, where 
it has been cultivated, the touch-me-not (Im- 
patiens Noli-tangere) springs up in weed-like 
abundance ; and, in fact, in the flower garden, 
various cultivated species disseminate them- 
selves in this way. Almost all composite 
plants, wild and cultivated, culinary and floral, 
if at all neglected, spread themselves wide in 
all directions, their seeds being in the majority 
of cases furnished with sail-like appendages, by 
the aid of which they float about in the atmo- 
sphere, and are carried along before the wind. 
Gravel walks are chiefly infested by the 
common annual grass (Poa annua), and the 
pearlwort (Sagina procumbens), both of which 
become exceedingly troublesome and difficult 
of removal, if for any length of time neglected, 
and allowed to shed their seeds. Walk- weeding 
is a tedious operation; it should be done after 
rain, and the point of a bluntish knife (weed- 
ing-knife), used in conjunction with the 
thumb, affords the most convenient means of 
rooting up the weeds. 
Perennial weeds are much more difficult of 
removal than annual ones, especially those of 
them which have creeping roots or root-stems. 
The partial disturbance of the latter, generally, 
does no better than increase the evil, as every 
little piece left in the ground will grow and 
spring up with the greater vigour, when the 
soil has in this way been loosened around it. 
