1882 . j 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
333 
Sorrel—Sheep’s Sorrel. 
From the number of specimens that have 
recently been sent us, it is evident that every 
one does not know that very common weed, 
generally, but incorrectly, called “Sorrel.” 
The true Sorrel,of which there are several spe¬ 
cies, is very different from this, and may be 
readily distinguished by having a three-parted 
a native of Europe, is not mentioned in agri¬ 
cultural works as being a troublesome weed 
abroad. It is often the case with introduced 
plants, that they find here conditions favor¬ 
able to their rapid increase, and acquire a 
reputation which they do not have at home. 
It is a common notion that lime is the proper 
antidote for this “Sorrel.” The reason given 
is : lime, being an alkali, neutralizes the acid 
most intense of scarlets, with a vast number 
of intermediate shades—in fact, almost every 
color except blue is to be found among 
them. The range in stature and size of the 
flower is also great; the stem of the Giant 
Lily often reaches ten feet, and it is not rare 
for the flowers of the Golden-banded to ex¬ 
ceed a foot in diameter. In marked contrast 
with these, there are several Lilies not 
leaf, like that of clover. The proper name for 
the weed usually called “Sorrel” is Sheep’s 
Sorrel (Rumex acetosella). It belongs to the 
same genus with the very much larger Docks. 
That it may be recognized, we give above 
an engraving of a rather diminutive plant. 
Its size is much affected by the character of 
the soil, as it grows from 2 inches high in 
poor soil to 20 in rich. The plant, especially 
in poor soil, is often reddish throughout, and 
' where abundant, is conspicuous on that ac¬ 
count. The lance-shaped leaves have at the 
base two spreading lobes, or, as the botanists 
say, are hastate, or at least the lower ones 
are thus shaped, and on long petioles, while 
the upper are sessile, and often without 
lobes. The flowers are in long slender ra¬ 
cemes, the staminate, or male, and the pistil¬ 
late, or female, in different plants ; both 
kinds are very small, but the male (a) flowers 
are the largest. The female ( b) are succeeded 
by a small brownish seed-like, three-cornered 
fruit (c). The leaves have an acid taste, like 
those of the true Sorrel. The plant is peren¬ 
nial, and has a creeping, much-branched 
root-stock, by which it spreads and takes 
possession of the soil. Sheep’s Sorrel, though 
in the soil, and the plant being deprived of 
its acid, cannot grow. This sounds very 
“scientific,” but it is not correct. Sheep’s 
Sorrel no more derives its sourness from the 
acid in the soil, than does the sugar-beet get 
its sweetness from sugar in the soil. In 
both cases the products, the acid and the 
sugar, are formed in the plant itself. That 
lime is a useful aid in destroying the weed, 
we do not doubt; whatever enriches the 
ground and encourages the growth of grass 
and other plants, aids in exterminating 
weeds. This is not regarded as an especially 
stubborn weed ; it readily gives way before 
good culture, and its abundance in a field 
indicates a poor condition of the soil. 
Some Small-flowered Lilies. 
Those who only know Lilies from the few 
large and showy kinds usually met with in 
gardens, would be surprised at the great 
number and variety that even a moderately 
full collection presents. Not only do Lilies 
differ widely in their habit, but in the range of 
color; they have flowers from the purest white 
to the most delicate yellow and buff, and the 
over a foot in bight, and with flowers cor¬ 
respondingly small. If one wishes to take 
up a specialty in flower culture, there is 
scarcely any genus that offers so many attrac¬ 
tions to the amateur as the Lily, and there is 
none that gives more satisfactory returns. 
The success that has attended the efforts of 
some who have produced new varieties,, 
shows that there is much yet to be done in 
this direction, especially in the way of pro¬ 
ducing hybrids. We have been much inter¬ 
ested in a number of the small-flowered spe¬ 
cies which have bloomed with us this sum¬ 
mer, most of them for the first time. The 
Crimson Erect-flowered Lily (Lilium con- 
color, var. pulchellum, the central one in the 
engraving), is from Eastern Siberia; the 
bulb is scarcely an inch long, and has a stem 
about a foot high, which is surmounted by 
usually a single erect flower, though two and 
sometimes three are borne by strong plants. 
The flower, an inch and a half to two inches 
across, is more scarlet than crimson in 
color, and marked by very minute blackish 
dots. The Oregon Lily (L. Columbianum, at 
the left-hand), is a native of the North¬ 
west. Strong plants are two feet high, but 
