Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-03-11

nure, which l have found most valuable for
stating coin in the Spring. place one or
two handfuls IN the furrow, brush over q
lit dirt with the foot drop corn on top,
and cover with broad hill.
1000 or O. ". TURNER.
GRowTH AND CULTURE or INrRoDUoED
PLANTs.-In the last years TRANSACTIONS Of
de 1dssdehusetts Horticultural Society, we
fbd in interesting article under the above
heading, by Charles J. Sprague, from which
we make the following extracts;
There are few places which afford such an
abundance and variety ofpaturalized foreign
plants as the vicinity of Boston. The num-
Der of plauis recorded in DIR. Gra'ys Manual
IF The Northern States, as being acclimated
in that region, is 26O out of 1851, OF just one
ninth Of the whole. OF this number more
than ont-third are to be found more or less
commonly around Boston. The causes of
this are the immigration of people Of many
nations who have brought with them, in
their apparel or luggage, the seeds of the
commoner plants of their own country,
which would be likely to adhere TO them;
seeds mingled with the grass seed imported
here and others attached 70 the many arti-
Giles Of merchandise coming constantly
into the country.
Some Of these have spread themselves so
widely as to have become intolerable pests
to the apricultuTist, who does not know, per-
bRps, that the enemy he seeks to destroy is a
foreign one. tits a singular fact, that nearly
all the weeds which have become the special
curse OF New England farmers are intro
duced plants. BHttereupS, the plaything Of
children, and the overspreading plague of
some grass regions, are from Europe. Some
localities in Maine are absolutely golden in
the season of their Towering. The Bar
berry which has so thoroughly established
itself in this vicinity, is European, and has
not elsewhere taken such a hold. CeLadine,
which fills our waste places with its delicate
green leaves at the very beginning Of spring,
ard displays its pretty yellow blossoms
later, with which children anoint their warty
fingers 10 rid them of their excrescences
is European. The Water Cress, common
in our markets in Spring, the Hedge Mustard,
which sends up its gaunt spikes of fruit 80
commonly by the road sides, the Shepherds
Purse, covering waste places every where
with its early green, the Wild Rddish, which
has become a very troublesome field weed,
are all European. Among the common aud
more or less troublesome usurpers of the soil
are S. Johns Wort Bladder Gmpion, Mouse
Ear Chickweed, PUrsldRe, Common MdIo,p,
or cheeses, as the children call them, nearly
all the GoUtrS, May Weed aud White Weed.
hho AuSN 10 bhOlOuBh pldB uO III grass lduuss
Its strong roots kill out the grass and are
difficult to extirpate. Its origin here is diff.
ferently explained. Some say it was intro
dueed as a pretty flower; others that it was
brought over, like many Others, with grass
seed or in luggage. In Europe it is a pet of
the poets, and, under the romantic names of
0x.eye Daisy and Marguerite, it has been
celebrated in verse. Here it is universally
execrated as an intOlerable pest. The
GoooI1 TISsflS ic mt hy INV MAMA a Noaa-
dian visitor. 1t comes from Europe, and its
legion of seeds have spread it broadcast over
the land. The Burdock, equally common
and the sport of children, comes from the
Jane source.
Suceory or Cicory has established itself
thoroughly around Boston. This is the
same plant cultivated abroad for the
"ChicoIy," which is used to adulterate
coffee; the root being used after roasting
and grinding. Here it is only known for its
beautiful starry blue flowers. The False Dam
deton has completely established itself in our
grass lands, and sends up its branching
flow er.s stems in autumn, covering our par
terres with its yellow blossoms. Many
uDquestionably think it a late blossoming Of
the true Dandelion, which is quite a different
plant. Other worthless visitors are the Loao
1histteS, Mullen, Toad Ftd1, Blue Verbead,
White Verbena, Motherwort, BtHdVeed, Night.
shade, Thorn apple, all of the Rigwseds, all
of the AmGrdRthS, Smart Weed, Bitter and
Ctrled Dock, Field SsrreI and Netle.
1t will be noticed that in the above emu
meration are comprised most of the trouble
some weeds which infest our grounds. 1t is
somewhat singular that the agriculturist
should have TO thank other regions of the
globe for the most valuable as we'll as the
most vexatious plants which grow under his
eye. Some of the plants enumerated have
become so completely naturalized as to make
it difficult, without sufficient data, to affirm
their foreign origin.
There are some curious points in regard
to this naturalization. Many of the COM
monest of European weeds have never taken
possession here, while others lave multi
piled prodigiously. Of the many European
v%iolets, only one, the Viola 7FicoLor, has
established itself, aud that sparingly. As we
have numerous species OF violets ourselves,
this seems the more strange. Out of 1872
species of Carer or Sedge, only one is foreign,
and that only in one small locality. AS
Sedges must inevitably be cut with grass in
the season of haying, it is singular that the
foreign species should not have been brought
here with grass seed. The laws which gov
ern the growth of plants in different locali-
ties are obscure in their workings. We find
individual species establishing themselves
everywhere, while other ~closely-allied spe-
cies refuse to be transplanted. Some gar
den plants defy the care and attention of the
florist, while others overrun the garden wall
and take full possession of the neighboring
farmers field, destroying his harvests as
they move.