THE CULTIVATOR. 111 
you will find yourself in all respects as well, and your 
busines much more satisfactorily conducted, than when 
ardent spirits are used. 
Weeds. 
Every plant growing with a cultivated crop, ant 
which has a tendency to lessen the product, or decrease 
its value, may with propriety be called a weed; even 
if one which possesses some importance in itself, and 
may under other circumstances be worthy of culture. 
The term weed, however, is usually applied to plants 
which are valueless, and which by growing with the 
cultivated crop, increase the labor, while they lessen 
its value. 
Weeds are either annual and biennial, or perennial; 
or such as spring up from seed and come to maturity 
by ripening their seeds either the first or second year, 
or those that after once having been sown continue to 
propagate both by seeds and roots. Annual or biennial 
weeds, if the stem is cut before or at the time of flower¬ 
ing, are destroyed, since there are no remaining means 
of propagation ; but in perennial weeds, or those pro¬ 
pagated from the root, as well as the seed, the de¬ 
struction of the stem does not ensure the death of 
the plant, as the power of propagation is still re¬ 
maining. Of course the destruction of annual weeds is 
much more easy than that of perennials ; although 
some of the former have such a multitude of seeds, and 
will remain so long without vegetating, unless the soil 
is cultivated, that the difference in labor is not so great 
as some have supposed. Perfect tillage is the best de¬ 
stroyer of all weeds, but various expedients, such as 
pulling out the annuals, and cutting off the perennials, 
are resorted to, in order to check or eradicate them. 
It cannot be expected that more than a few of each class 
can be named here, and such will be selected as are the 
most common and troublesome. It may be remarked 
that a reference to European agricultural works will 
show that some of their most injurious weeds are un¬ 
known here ; that some we treat as weeds which they 
cultivate as valuable plants ; and that some of the most 
troublesome weeds found in our fields, appear to be 
unknown there, at least are not found to infest their 
crops. 
PERENNIAL WEEDS. 
Johns wort— Hypericum perforatum. 
Meadow Crowfoot— Ranunculus acris. 
Daisy— Beilis perennis. 
Canada Thistle— Cnicus arvensis. 
Broad-leaved Dock —Rumex obtusifolius. 
Couch or Wheat Grass —-Triticicm repens. 
Ox-eye or White Daisy— Chrysanthemum leucanthemum. 
Everlasting— Gnaphalium. 
ANNUAL WEEDS. 
Steen-crout, or Wheat Thief —Lithospermum arvense 
Wild Mustard— Sinapis arvensis. 
Common Chickweed —Stellaria media. 
Wild or Climbing Buckwheat —Polygonum convolvulus 
Burdock— Arctium Lappa. 
Feverfew— Pyrethrum inodorous. 
Johnswort, so well known to the farmer by its intru¬ 
sion into meadows and pastures, and by its occupying 
almost the whole ground to the exclusion of all the va¬ 
luable grasses, is one of the most common and perni¬ 
cious weeds in this country. We know of no valuable 
use to which it can be put; all animals reject it, unless 
starved to feeding upon it, and it is a positive poison to 
such as are compelled to feed on it. It has frequently 
caused the death of young cattle and sheep. Johns¬ 
wort may be killed by thorough tillage, seeding thick 
with grasses, and using plaster liberally. 
Meadow Crowfoot, called also butter-cup and yellow 
daisy, grows in most parts of the country. The whole 
family to which it belongs, are poisonous, inflaming the 
skin and sometimes blistering it. If there is considera¬ 
ble grass with the plant, cattle eat it off without danger, 
and it seems to lose much of its acrid property when 
cut with grass and made into hay. It is easily destroy¬ 
ed by plowing and cropping, followed by again seed¬ 
ing 
The ox-eye or white daisy is a pestiferous weed where 
it is allowed to establish itself on a farm, crowding most 
of the valuable grasses, and being in itself of little use. 
It is most frequent in pastures, although seen in mea¬ 
dows, and can only be eradicated by tillage conducted 
in a proper manner. 
The Canada thistle is most unfortunately so well 
known as to require no description. Spreading both 
by its long, creeping, vigorous roots, and by its seeds, 
it has spread over a very large part of the northern 
states, and promises to eventually occupy no inconsider¬ 
able portion of the remainder. It is one of the most 
difficult plants to destroy, as the roots throw out stems 
from each joint, and if any part of the roots are left 
undisturbed in the soil, they will at once spring up, and 
produce a numerous body of plants. On the best culti¬ 
vated farms it is with difficulty kept under, and on 
those where spring grains are generally grown, and 
hoed crops and summer fallows are unfrequent, they 
spread with great rapidity. It prefers a rich moist 
soil, and on such is with more difficulty eradicated than 
on dry or less fertile ones ; yet the roots are so tena¬ 
cious of life, that on all, it is one of the most formidable 
of weeds. No half-way or temporizing measures will 
succeed with the thistle. It must be attacked vigorous¬ 
ly, either by plowing, hoeing, or repeated mowing, 
and there must be no rest till it is destroyed root and 
branch. If one year’s tillage, or fallowing, does not 
answer the purpose, give two ; but it must be remem¬ 
bered that a single root left living will in a short time 
undo all that you have done, and till the soil as before. 
Broad leaved Dock is a bad weed, as it spreads rapid¬ 
ly when allowed to perfect its seeds, and it throws out 
such a mass of leaves that it occupies the grounc 
almost exclusively. Fortunately its destruction is com¬ 
paratively easy, nothing more being required than with 
a single blmv from a sharp hoe, to cut off the plant be¬ 
low the crown, or at some little distance in the ground, 
and as it throws out no suckers from the roots, it is 
killed at once. 
Couch, quack, or wheat grass, is a serious pest to 
the farmer, as it is very tenacious of life, throws out 
roots from every joint of its stem that touches the 
earth. Its roots too are creeping, and any part of them 
left in the land is sure to vegetate. Low says the most 
effectual method of destroying this weed, “ is by fre¬ 
quent plowing and harrowing, and collecting the roots 
by the hand.” In England where it is the worst weed 
of tilled lands, implements are used called grubbers, 
which pass through the pulverized soil, and bring out 
such roots of weeds as are below the surface, and thus 
enables the farmer to gather and destroy them. Couch 
grass is more easily destroyed in this way than some 
other weeds, as its thick fibrous roots causes them to 
adhere strongly together, and they are thus more easily 
collected. 
The common Daisy is a very troublesome plant in 
pastures or meadows, and if left unmolested soon be¬ 
comes a great nuisance. Tillage is the proper remedy, 
but as it shows itself in meadows too moist for a course 
of culture, previous draining in such cases is necessary. 
There is then little difficulty in extirpating it, particu¬ 
larly if a dressing of lime be given to the soil at the time 
of plowing. 
Everlasting, or cotton weed, so called by some from 
the white down on its stems and leaves, is a plant that 
is rapidly scattered by its seeds when they are allowed 
to ripen, and a root once established in the soil progres¬ 
ses slowly, but surely, to destroy, we believe, every other 
plant or grass with which it comes in contact. On cul¬ 
tivated lands it does little or no injury but spreads in 
pastures most injuriously, unless pains are taken to 
cut them up so as to prevent their seeding, or digging 
them by the root, which latter course is preferable, as 
the cure if thoroughly performed is effectual. 
Of the annual weeds, the one which produces the 
greatest injury to the wheat grower is the steen-crout 
or red-root. We have seen in Western New-York 
thousands of acres of wheat which would hardly give 
half a crop from the prevalence of this weed. It 
springs up early, grows rapidly, and its spreading thick 
top smothers and exhausts the xvheat plant. The re¬ 
medy for this nuisance is first to clean the land of all 
the red-root in it by thorough tillage, and then to soav 
none but pure seed. If a feAv stalks any where appear 
in a field, pull them up at once, and by no means alloAV 
any to mature their seeds on the farm. 
Charlock or wild mustard on many farms abounds in 
all plowed lands and springs up in grain of all kinds. 
As this plant ripens its seeds and sheds them from its 
pods before harvesting, it is one of the Avorst of the 
annual weeds to eradicate. Hoed crops are useful in 
exterminating charlock, and on some farms in England 
Avheat is soAvn in rows to give the crop the benefit of 
this clearing process, Summer falloAving is also good, 
if the plowings are repeated so often as to give an 
opportunity for all the seeds in the soil to vegetate, and 
be destroyed in succession. Its yellow flowers render 
it conspicuous in wheat or other grain, and where but 
little exists it may be pulled by hand and the crops freed 
from its presence. 
ChickAveed, on cold sour grounds, is a bad weed, and 
the richer such grounds are made, the more troublesome 
will this plant become. The best method of eradicat¬ 
ing this weed is to change the character of the soil, 
making it dry by draining, and curing their sour¬ 
ness by using lime or ashes. It rarely shows itself to 
any extent on sandy or lime rock dry lands, Avhile it will 
cover a field like a mat where the soil is Avet, tenacious 
and cold. 
Climbing buckAvheat, or bindAveed, is rarely injurious 
on well tilled lands; but where the cultivation is im¬ 
perfect, or the plant springs up in grain, it does much 
mischief by binding the groAving plants together and 
preventing them perfecting their seeds. Weeding or 
tillage will destroy the climbing buckAvheat. 
Burdock, independent of the injury it does to crops, 
is one of the surest signs of a slovenly farmer that ex¬ 
ists. When you see the tails of cows, the wool of 
sheep, or the mane and tails of colts, loaded and bound 
together A\ r ith burdock burs, you may Avithoul further 
examination pronounce their owner a slovenly unthrifty 
farmer. The burdock is easily killed by cutting it be¬ 
low the crown of the plant, and where such is the case 
there can be no excuse for its presence. 
EeverfeAv, or Mayweed, is common in some parts of 
our country and is injurious in grain. Thorough cul¬ 
tivation is fatal to it, and consequently it is not so much 
dreaded as some other plants. Wild or stinking cha¬ 
momile is sometimes mistaken for Feverfew, but the 
management of both may be the same, and the extir¬ 
pation of either is not difficult. 
There are many other plants and shrubs that infest 
the fields of the farmer, and materially lessen his pro¬ 
ducts and profits. It may be remarked, however, that 
all weeds are frequent or scarce on a farm, exactly in 
proportion as its management is bad or good. All will 
prosper xvhere the culture is bad; all Avill be extermi¬ 
nated Avhere the management is good. 
HFIowers. 
We know of no association more constantly present 
to the mind, or one more fitting, than that which con¬ 
nects woman and floAvers ; and rarely, indeed, does the 
first appear more charming, or engaged in an occupa¬ 
tion more suited to her taste, than when she is sur¬ 
rounded by the latter, by blossoms that have been 
trained and cherished by her oavh fair hand. We have 
always admired floAvers as the most beautiful produc¬ 
tions of nature. True they are fleeting, but Avhat is 
there of the beautiful and lovely Avhich is not ? It may 
be sympathy, it may be mere imagination, but to us the 
thought has the force of truth, that we have never 
knoAvn a woman, truly pure hearted and angel minded, 
that did not love floAvers. The things by which we are 
surrounded have their influence on our minds ; they give 
the tone and coloring in a great measure to our charac¬ 
ter, and, perhaps, our destiny. The man who grows 
up among the rocks of New England or the mountains 
of Switzerland, will be a different being from the one 
who walks the sand plains of the south, or basks lazily 
in the maremna of Rome. There will be a firmness of 
nerve and unyieldingness of purpose in the first, un- 
knoAvn to the last, a something caught from the coun¬ 
try and climate, and stamped by the surrounding objects, 
Avhich leave an impression as indelible as mountains 
and rocks. So with woman ; the hues and coloring of 
her mind ; the graceful and the beautiful that make up 
so much of her existence ; the soft and the flexible 
Avhich, Avhile they seem to leave her helpless, constitute 
her true strength, all these things are heightened and 
strengthened by the action of nature around her, and 
the fragility, and the beauty, and purity of flowers ex¬ 
ercise no trifling influence on her heart. What is it 
that gives the home of the English cottager a degree of 
neatness and comfort so seldom seen here '< It is be¬ 
cause honeysuckles and jessamines are tAvining around 
the doors and Avindows; because flowers of many 
kinds and beautiful hues are mingled with shrubbery in 
the limited yard. Would that such a taste was more 
prevalent here. Where so much real pleasure can be 
purchased at so cheap a rate, so many senses be grati¬ 
fied at once, it is truly a pity so few are found to make 
the effort. FloAvers around a door, or clustered in a 
window, give an air of happy quiet and peace, of con¬ 
scious security, and are a more correct indication of 
good taste, gentle feelings, and an unsullied heart, than 
silver plate or marble Avails. Our object, however, was 
not to write an essay, but to invite the attention of our 
fair friends to the subject of flowers, and introduce to 
their notice Horace Smith’s beautiful Hymn to the 
Flowers, for which we are certain of the thanks of 
those to whom it is not already familiar. 
HYMN TO THE FLOWERS 
Day-stars ! that ope your eyes with man to twinkle, 
From rainbow galaxies of earth's creation, 
And dew-drops on her lonely altars sprinkle, 
Asa libation— 
Ye matin Avorshippers ! who, bending lowly, 
Before th’ uprisen sun, God's lidless eye, 
ThroAV from your chalices a sweet and holy 
Incense on high! 
Ye bright Mosaics ! that with storied beauty, 
The floor of Nature's temple tesselate. 
What num’rous emblems of instructive duty, 
Your forms create ! 
'Neath clustered boughs, each floral bell that swingeth, 
And tolls its perfume on the passing air, 
Makes Sabbath m the fields, and ever ringetli 
A call to prayer ! 
Not to the domes, where crumbling arch and column 
Attest the feebleness of mortal hand ; 
But to that fane, most catholic and solemn, 
Which God hath plann’d— 
To that cathedral, boundless as our wonder, 
Whose quenchless lamps the sun and moon supply, 
Its choir the winds and waves—its organ thunder— 
Its dome the sky ! 
There, as in solitude and shade I wander 
Through the green isles, or stretched upon the sod, 
Awed by the silence, reverently ponder 
The ways of God— 
Your voiceless lips, O flowers, are living preachers, 
Each cup a pulpit, each leaf a book, 
Supplying to my fancy numerous teachers, ^ 
From loneliest nook. 
Floral apostles ! that in dewy splendor, 
“ Weep without wo, and blush without a crime,” 
Oh! may I deeply learn and ne’er surrender 
Your lore sublime ! 
“ Thou wert not, Solomon, in all thy glory, 
Arrayed,” the lilies cry, “ in robes like ours; 
How vain your grandeur !—ah ! how transitory 
Are human flowers !” 
In the sweet-scented pictures, Heavenly Artist! 
With which thou paintest nature’s wide-spread hall, 
What a delightful lesson thou impartest 
Of love to all! 
Not useless are ye, flowers, though made for pleasure, 
Blooming o’er field and Avave, by day and night; 
From every source your sanction bids me treasure 
Harmless delight! 
Ephemeral sages ! what instructors hoary, 
For such a world of thought could furnish scope ? 
Each fading calyx a memento mori, 
Yet fount of hope ! 
Posthumous glories ! angel-like collection, 
Upraised from seed or bulb interred in earth, 
Ye are to me a type of resurrection 
And second birth! 
Were I, O God ! in churchless lands remaining, 
Far from all voice of teachers and divines, 
My soul would find, in flowers of thy ordaining, 
Priests, sermons, shrines! 
