^"ill not only destroy so many of the seeds of weeds as to pre- 

 vent the ensuing crop from being weedy, as it otherwise would 

 be, but will also destroy many insects, clean the ground, and 

 render it more St for the operations of tillage ; besides the soil 

 will be fertilized by the ashes of the stubble. 



But to prevent the increase of weeds, as well as for other 

 good purposes, it is not best that two broad cast sowed crops, 

 when it can be otherwise ordered, should succeed each other. 

 When a hoed crop is well tilled every other year, the weeds 

 are not wont to increase in such a degree as to be very trou- 

 blesome. 



Another precaution, and which has not been sufficiently at- 

 tended to, is to avoid sowing the seeds of weeds with grain and 

 •other crops. 



Notwithstanding all the precautions that may be used, how- 

 ever, s«me weed seed may be wafted by the winds from other 

 fields, and will he found in the farmer's enclosures ; he should, 

 therefore, practice the most effectual methods of subduing 

 them. 



Oae way to effect this is by summer fallowing, alternately 

 ploughing and harrowing the ground in dry weather, as often 

 as the weeds appear in plenty on the surface. By this opera- 

 tion a large quantity of weeds is destroyed and converted into 

 manure, and the seeds of another crop so exposed that they 

 will spring up, and at the next stirring of the soil be destroyed. 

 If these operations are continued until no more weeds arise, it 

 may be concluded the ground is in good order for a crop, and 

 thereby too, made more fertile. 



But the modern improvement of land, by substituting the 

 system of a rotation of crops, for the summer fallow, seems to 

 be well calculated to prevent the prevalence of weeds, as well 

 as to preserve and increase the productive powers of the e^ii* 



low.^*^ *^^*J ®o rotation of crops as a snbrtitute fof summer M^ 



^2 



