CHAPTER III 



GENERAL PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES 



" I will go root away 



The noisome weeds, that without profit suck 

 The soil's fertility from wholesome flowers." 



SHAKESPEARE, Richard II. , Act iii. sc. 4. 



IN considering how to eradicate a particular weed it 

 is well first of all to discover what is its life history 

 and how it is distributed, as these conditions will influ- 

 ence the method adopted in order to suppress it. The 

 difference between Couch and Charlock, or between 

 Charlock and Sheep's Sorrel, for example, is very 

 marked, and upon these differences must be based the 

 means to check the plants. All weeds should be at- 

 tacked at their weakest or most vulnerable period, 

 which can only be determined when their complete life 

 history is known. 



It will be useful to examine the general methods of 

 combating weeds as a body, and these may be con- 

 veniently divided into Prevention and Remedy. 



PREVENTION 



Under this heading may be included such operations 

 as cultivation, rotations, sowing of clean seed, and 

 prevention of seeding of weeds. 



(a) Good Cultivation. It should at the outset be 

 strongly emphasised that good cultivation of the 

 highest order is not only largely conducive to the 



suppression of weeds, annual and perennial alike, but 



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