310 WEEDS OF AGRICULTURE. 



How to destroj/ this weed, is, how to destroy all annuals, 

 namely, by encouraging the seeds to vegetate, and killing 

 them with the plough. However, as it chiefly infests dry 

 and deep soils, or black-mould land, it may be useful to the 

 amateur to show by what rotation it may be effectually sub- 

 dued. Suppose a quantity of this weed to grow with a crop 

 of oats ; after harvest, as rains come on, the scattered seeds 

 will very numerously vegetate on the surface ; this will be 

 much encouraged by getting off the stubble, and harrowing ; 

 when the opportunity occurs, plough the land a shallow 

 tilth, and harrow it again. Much surface rubbish may now be 

 raked and carried off, and the land lie till spring. After 

 spring seeding, plough this piece a seed furrow pitch, and 

 harrow it ; clean it from twitch and roots, and let it lie to 

 be green over with annuals. It may then be manured, and 

 the manure immediately ploughed under. After a little 

 harrowing and handpicking the twitch, the land may lie till 

 you choose to sow it ; the best crop is rape if the land be 

 light, which should be sown rather late (about the begin- 

 ning of August), and perfectly well hoed and cleaned. The 

 crop may be stocked with sheep in February, but not eaten 

 too close down. The surface, as the spring advances, is to 

 be kept clean with hoes, and the rape is to stand to be 

 threshed ; after which the surface must be discharged of the 

 stalks by pulling, and the land may be sown with wheat at 

 once ploughing. This crop may be cleaned with a little 

 exertion by weeding ; and in the spring sow the land well 

 down with the best mixture of grass seeds that can be pro- 

 cured. Though hght land does not suit wheat, especially 

 as to quality, yet depth and penetrability of subsoil will 

 generally give }Ou produce enough. It grows too tall and 

 flaggy, and is easily brought down with wmd and rain ; but 

 if it be clean it will make good seed for other soils ; and 

 you can by no other means obtain so much profit, tvithout 

 deteriorating the soil, by any other rotation of the crops. 



This argument might be beneficially extended, as it 

 applies to the cultivation of dry black-mould land, of deep 

 texture, having some dry peat remaining, and a clay bottom^ 

 too far below to be ploughed up, except in spots and 



