ISO 



The Couiiiry Gcntkviaiis Magazine 



39,440 ; and 2 pints of Dutch clover yielded 

 severally 25,560 and 70,400 weed-seeds. 



Here, then, are three sources of the spread 

 of those weeds which are propagated by their 

 seeds, all of them more or less directly within 

 the control of the farmer. He can prevent, 

 if he likes, the seeds of weeds being scattered 

 abroad by the winds, by simply cutting the 

 Aveeds down before they seed ; he can keep 

 the seeds of weeds out of his dung-heap by 

 burning them ; and he can in large measure 

 prevent his crop seeds being mixed with the 

 seeds of weeds. But there is another class 

 of weeds which are mainly propagated by 

 roots. The majority of farmers farming heavy 

 wheat land are but too well acquainted with 

 the "couch grass" (triticiim j'epeiis), which so 

 overruns some fields, which is propagated so 

 easily, and which is eradicated with such diffi- 

 culty. The root of this pest is jointed, and 

 each joint sends out a fresh rootlet, so that by 

 cutting up the weed merely, as some imple- 

 ments do — that is, dividing it into parts — we 

 only add to the mischief by giving existence 

 to new plants. Salt given in liberal doses is 

 said to be an excellent mode of getting rid of 

 such grass. Docks are another pest to the 

 farmer : they are best got rid of by extracting 

 the roots in wet weather, or when the ground 

 is damp, by means of what is called a "dock 

 spade." This or any other implement Avhich 

 may be used will require to be used with care, 

 so that the roots are extracted wholly : for if 

 any part of the root is left in the ground it is the 

 parent of a vigorous plant. The more direct 

 the pull in the direction of its length, the 

 more likely is the root to be wholly extracted ; 

 any lateral strain thrown upon it is almost 

 sure to result in the root being broken short 

 off. Such a mode of getting rid of root-pro- 

 pagated weeds is, however, too slow and tedi- 

 ous, and not always so certain a process, that 

 other means have been looked for, for the 

 purpose of getting rid of them. In pasture 

 land and in meadow land — in the latter at 

 <:ertain periods of the year only — the best 

 plan is to keep mowing the leaves down : let 

 them, in fact, never be allowed to develop 

 their leaves to any extent, never so far as to 

 exceed 2 or 3 inches above the ground. Pro- 



fessor Euckman says: — "As the leaves are 

 the lungs of a plant," bear in mind never to 

 allow in such "cases the lungs to develop 

 themselves." This mode of meeting the 

 enemy is of course not available in lands 

 under arable crops, nor indeed, as we have 

 pointed out, in meadow land, at all seasons 

 of the year. In the , land under crops, if the 

 crop is a green one, many an opportunity will 

 be afforded the vigilant farmer to get rid of 

 weeds whiclv^shew themselves above ground; 

 and, generally speaking, the previous cultiva- 

 tion has so made the soil in that pulverized 

 state that the weeds^'are pulled up with com- 

 IDarative ease. It^is a fortunate circumstance 

 that the very act of getting rid of weeds in 

 fallow crops helps to ensure heavier crops. 

 As soon as other crops are off the field, the 

 weeds should be taken in hand, either by 

 forking the patches [covered with weeds, or 

 by the use of the plough, the grubber, or the 

 cultivator. In the case of meadow land, and 

 in pasture, the effect of certain artificial 

 manures has not yet been fairly and fully 

 tried. We have reason to believe that there 

 is much to be clone in this direction. We 

 had occasion once to take occupation of a 

 large meadow a short time previous to the 

 hay crop being ready ; but such was the con- 

 dition of one part of it, as regards weeds, that 

 it was difficult to say which was the best crop, 

 the grass or the weeds. This part of the 

 field was literally red with the seeds of the 

 dock, which was the prevalent seed. In 

 making the hay, we had all the weeds care- 

 fully separated from the hay, and the whole 

 burnt ; and as soon as tlie hay was housed 

 and the field cleared, we top-dressed the 

 whole of the field with a mixture of nitrate 

 of soda and salt in about equal jDroportions^ 

 and at the rate of 2j<^ cwts. to the acre, 

 taking care to give to the weed-infested part 

 a much heavier dressing. In his locality, 

 and with his soil (a pretty heavy one), he 

 has had such a success in the treatment of 

 perennial or root-propagating weeds with 

 nitrate of soda and salt, that he has a good 

 deal of confidence in the belief that if not 

 a preventive, it is at least in great measure a 

 cure. 



