3 o COMMON WEEDS 



is perhaps of greater importance in the growth of good 

 crops than any other factor in practical agriculture. 

 In dealing with insect infestation Professor Somerville 

 writes : " Using the term in its widest sense, good 

 cultivation will be found to be the best protection that 

 the farmer or gardener can offer his crops against the 

 ravages of insects." This remark applies with equal 

 force to weeds ; in fact, one of the chief reasons that 

 good cultivation is valuable in keeping down noxious 

 insects is that weeds are destroyed, besides which the 

 soil is rendered friable, open and mellow, and is better 

 able to grow a healthy crop which will tend to resist 

 the growth of weeds. Autumn cultivation is especially 

 valuable, many roots of weeds being then exposed to 

 frost, arid so destroyed, while seedlings are buried. 



(b). Growth of Dense Crops. The growth of dense 

 heavy crops, such as vetches, lucerne, sainfoin, and 

 maize, largely tends to suppress weeds, for once such 

 crops are well established they choke out weeds. A 

 good " take" of lucerne is especially useful, since, owing 

 to its rapid growth, it not only tends to smother weeds, 

 but as it is cut several times during the summer months 

 weeds are also cut and seeding is prevented. Maize is 

 useful on account of the fact that it is well hoed and 

 cleaned, and provides an abundance of shade. 



(c) Prevention of Seeding. This is one of the chief 

 means of combating weeds, and is usually most easily 

 managed by cutting them down just before or at the 

 time of flowering, or whenever they are of sufficient size 

 to be readily cut or mown. On grass land the mowing 

 machine may be run over infested fields without much 

 trouble two or three times during summer. 



A box attachment for reaping machines and binders, 

 by which seeds shaken out in the process of cutting 

 cereal crops are caught, is a useful means of reducing 



