Weeds Act 1959
Encyclopedia
The Weeds Act of 1959 is an Act
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
regarding the control of several injurious weed species throughout the UK. It received Royal Assent
on 16 July 1959, and aims to prevent the spread of the Broad Leaved Dock
, Common Ragwort, Creeping Thistle, Curled Dock
and the Spear Thistle. It allows the Secretary of State
, or any person acting on their behalf or the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
, to use measures of enforcement to prevent the spread of weeds on private land,Wildlife: Ragwort and injurious weeds which, if not adhered to by the owner of said land, can lead to a fine up to £1000.00 and further punishment.
, biennial
, or perennial, and can produce 3000 to 4000 seeds per plant.Field Guide to Noxious and Other Selected Weeds of British Columbia Although said to contribute to animal wellbeing by providing nutrience which would otherwise be absent, it also contains high levels of oxalic acid
which could be damaging to stock.Curled dock
into the soil to inhibit growth of other species. Transmitted by wind when pollinated, the downy white pappus
can spread far and presents a fire hazardCreeping Thistle.
which causes liver damage. Sheep are less affected but can suffer from consumption as the effect is 'cumulative'.Dow AgroSciences (NZ) Ltd
Controlling Ragworthttp://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/ragwort.htm
s; the spikes can also dislodge from the plant and attach to wool, thereby presenting a problem for shearer
s.http://www.weeds.asn.au/weeds/txts/sprthis.html
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
regarding the control of several injurious weed species throughout the UK. It received Royal Assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
on 16 July 1959, and aims to prevent the spread of the Broad Leaved Dock
Rumex obtusifolius
Rumex obtusifolius, commonly known as Broad-leaved Dock, Bitter Dock, Bluntleaf Dock, Dock Leaf or Butter Dock, is a perennial weed, native to Europe but can now be found in the United States and many other countries around the world....
, Common Ragwort, Creeping Thistle, Curled Dock
Curled Dock
Curled Dock , also known as Curly Dock, Yellow Dock, Sour Dock, Narrow Dock, sometimes as "narrow-leaved dock" , and ambiguously as "garden patience", is a perennial flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae, native to Europe and Western Asia.The mature plant is a reddish brown colour, and...
and the Spear Thistle. It allows the Secretary of State
Secretary of State (United Kingdom)
In the United Kingdom, a Secretary of State is a Cabinet Minister in charge of a Government Department ....
, or any person acting on their behalf or the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is a UK cabinet-level position in charge of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the successor to the positions of Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport...
, to use measures of enforcement to prevent the spread of weeds on private land,Wildlife: Ragwort and injurious weeds which, if not adhered to by the owner of said land, can lead to a fine up to £1000.00 and further punishment.
Broad Leaved Dock
The Broad Leaved Dock is a resilient and common perennial plant found in grasslands throughout the United Kingdom. Unaffected by regular climatic variations and all but the most acidic soils, the Broad Leaved Dock can produce around 60,000 seeds a year and flowers from June to October. The seeds are capable of surviving for a maximum of 50 years in soil due to a 'chemical that inhibits microbial decay'.Broad-leaved dockCurled Dock
The Curled Dock is found mostly in meadowland, wasteland, sand dunes, and dry soils. The Curled Dock can be annualAnnual plant
An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
, biennial
Biennial plant
A biennial plant is a flowering plant that takes two years to complete its biological lifecycle. In the first year the plant grows leaves, stems, and roots , then it enters a period of dormancy over the colder months. Usually the stem remains very short and the leaves are low to the ground, forming...
, or perennial, and can produce 3000 to 4000 seeds per plant.Field Guide to Noxious and Other Selected Weeds of British Columbia Although said to contribute to animal wellbeing by providing nutrience which would otherwise be absent, it also contains high levels of oxalic acid
Oxalic acid
Oxalic acid is an organic compound with the formula H2C2O4. This colourless solid is a dicarboxylic acid. In terms of acid strength, it is about 3,000 times stronger than acetic acid. Oxalic acid is a reducing agent and its conjugate base, known as oxalate , is a chelating agent for metal cations...
which could be damaging to stock.Curled dock
Creeping Thistle
The Creeping Thistle is a common resilient perennial plant found in grasslands throughout the United Kingdom. Characterised by spined, lobed leaves, it stands up to one metre high and blooms with light purple flowers between the months of July and September. Its root system is very deep, exteniding a maximum of three metres underground and six metres throughout its surrounding area;http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/creepthistle.htm as such, it is very hard to remove from an affected area. It is fiercely competitive with other plants or crops and can release a natural biocideBiocide
A biocide is a chemical substance or microorganism which can deter, render harmless, or exert a controlling effect on any harmful organism by chemical or biological means. Biocides are commonly used in medicine, agriculture, forestry, and industry...
into the soil to inhibit growth of other species. Transmitted by wind when pollinated, the downy white pappus
Pappus (flower structure)
The pappus is the modified calyx, the part of an individual disk, ray or ligule floret surrounding the base of the corolla, in flower heads of the plant family Asteraceae. The pappus may be composed of bristles , awns, scales, or may be absent. In some species, the pappus is too small to see...
can spread far and presents a fire hazardCreeping Thistle.
Ragwort
The Common Ragwort is a biennial yellow angiosperm which is capable of growing to 30–100 cm in height. Prolific in seed distribution, an individual Ragwort can produce a maximum of 30,000 to 150,000 seeds, which can survive for a maximum of 10 to 15 years in surrounding soil. Highly toxic to cattle, horses, pigs, deer, and goats, the Ragwort has a high alkaloid concentrationAlkaloid
Alkaloids are a group of naturally occurring chemical compounds that contain mostly basic nitrogen atoms. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Also some synthetic compounds of similar structure are attributed to alkaloids...
which causes liver damage. Sheep are less affected but can suffer from consumption as the effect is 'cumulative'.Dow AgroSciences (NZ) Ltd
Dow Chemical Company
The Dow Chemical Company is a multinational corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States. As of 2007, it is the second largest chemical manufacturer in the world by revenue and as of February 2009, the third-largest chemical company in the world by market capitalization .Dow...
Controlling Ragworthttp://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/ragwort.htm
Spear Thistle
The Spear Thistle is an annual or biennial plant which forms dark purple or reddish flowers above dark green, spiked leaves. A plant found in pastoral land and along roads, it is easily spread by vehicles as they pass by.http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/spearth.htm A severely competitive plant, it can eliminate pastoral crop and open crops to infestation by insectInsect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s; the spikes can also dislodge from the plant and attach to wool, thereby presenting a problem for shearer
Sheep shearer
A sheep shearer is a worker who uses -blade or machine shears to remove wool from domestic sheep during crutching or shearing.-History:...
s.http://www.weeds.asn.au/weeds/txts/sprthis.html