17 



before plowing, occasionally two, but not more than two. Plow the 

 clover sod shallow, not more than four inches, early after harvest, say 

 the 1st to the loth of August, and harrow at once. Let it stand a 

 couple of weeks ; then cultivate, the same way as it was plowed, two 

 or three inches deep, with a spring-tooth cultivator. After a while, 

 cross cultivate a little deeper. If possible, cultivate a third, or even 

 a fourth time, going a little deeper each time. Then, if you can man- 

 age to do so, rib it up with a double mouldboard plow, as you would 

 for a crop of turnips. When this is done the available plant food 

 (clover roots, etc.) is preserved in the center of the drills, the water 

 runs ofi early in the spring, and the drills <jan be levelled with the 

 cultivator and harrow, either for spring grain or for hoed crops. 



This method will not only clean land but will greatly enrich it. 



Information from Farmers as to New Weeds, Etc., in Different 



Parts of the Province. 



At the request of the writer, the Ontario Department of Agricul- 

 ture, in 1898, kindly sent out a few questions about weeds to its reg- 

 ular correspondent-*, and others, chieHy those who had done satisfac- 

 tory experimental work in connection with the Experimental Union. 

 A large number of answers were received, and as part of the informa- 

 tion contained theiein is not given elsewhere in the bulletin, some 

 of the answers are briefly referred to below. The questions were as 

 follows : 



1 . What is the chdrncter of the soil in your township ? This was 

 to ascertain what species of w^eeds grow most abundantly in certain 

 kinds of soil. 



2. Are the lueeds in your neighborhood more numerous and 

 more troublesome than they were ten years ago .■ The majority of 

 the correspondents s.ay that weeds are far more numerous than they 

 were, and that the injury done by thena is far greater. The Canada 

 Thistle, however, is spoken of as much less troublesome than it was, 

 — a fact due, no doubt, to the vigorous methods taken to eradicate it 

 from cultivated land, and in a less degree to the law for its destruc- 

 tion on the highways. 



3. Are the provisions of the weed low enforced in your tovmship ? 

 About 95 per cent, answer iVo most emphatically. They say that a 

 number of townships appoint men to look after the Canada Thistle, 

 but that little or nothing is done with other weeds. " The township 

 council takes no action, because the councillors are afraid of losinof 

 votes at the next election." " Pathmasters do not enforce the Act, for 

 fear of incurring the enmity of neighbors ; " and " lented larms, 

 especially such as belong to loan companies, are often overrun with 

 weeds, to the great injury of neighboring farmer.-^." 



2—128 



